At second sight
by TheFlutteryButterfly
Summary: Bella and Edward do not like each other. Will online dating help them erase the unfortunate first impressions? A silly little story about two people who fight against something that they both want the most. Drabble-ish.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi all! Welcome to my new little story, a drabble this time. I rated it M, but it`s just in case the events turn red hot in the future, at the moment it looks pretty light, cheerful and innocent.**

**The chapters will be posted daily. Enjoy and share your thoughts in reviews if you wish **

**AT SECOND SIGHT**

**Chapter 1 **

**Bella**

"Richard, Momma`s home!" I call as the door closes behind me.

"Meow!" Comes the response and I pick up the furry rascal.

"Hi, kitty boy", my nose disappears in the cat`s soft neck. "It`s so cold outside, baby. Momma needs to warm up. But I`ve finished all our Christmas shopping, a full week before Santa`s due! If that`s not good organization then I don`t know what is", I mutter to myself proudly.

"Meow."

Sipping hot cocoa on the couch and acting as a bed to my ever sleeping pet I read the mail. Not a single bill this time, only Christmas cards from family and friends. Happy days.

And then an expected but inconspicuous, thick envelope falls into my lap and I smile.

"Together with their families

Alice Mary Brandon

and

Jasper Whitlock

request the honour of the presence of

Ms Isabella Swan and Guest

at their wedding

on Saturday, the 21st of June, 2014

at 4 o`clock in the afternoon…"

So, my best friend is getting married.

And I don`t have a date.

"Richard, we need to dig out your bow tie from your Halloween costume", I say to the creature spread on my chest.

No answer. Go figure.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Edward**

"So, dear cousin, I see Alice is making an honest man out of you?" I laugh into the phone. "I`ve just gotten your invitation. Thanks!"

"Good. She`s laughing that half a year should give your ass enough time to find a date for the big day," Jasper retorts.

And I thought I was being funny…

"Just let me browse through my little black book…" I attempt to redeem my dignity.

"Haha, the non-existent book. The effort is futile! Alice has friends, you know… some of them are really hot."

"Oh, no, no, no," I shake my head with fervor, as if my cousin could see the strength of my opinion on the subject over the phone. "I met your girl`s best pal a year ago, Jasper, thanks very much."

"Oh, you mean Bella. I don`t know what happened between you two, but she`s really great, Edward. Nice ass and all that aside, she`s good fun to be around."

"Then I must have met a different Bella, Jazz, because the one that I was introduced to scanned me from head to toe, huffed and puffed and disappeared less than five minutes later. I presume she`s invited to the wedding but don`t count on us becoming each other`s guests. You won`t save any bucks, I`m gonna be there with a Guest of my own."

"OK, Dr Doolittle. I`ll see you around at Christmas and we`ll discuss your options," he snickers.

Fucking, lucky bastard.

Jasper met Alice three years ago and the rest is history. The girl rocks his world and his own life is all about her. Guess what, I envy them.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 **

**Bella **

"Rose, I have plenty of time, I don`t have to think about it right now!" I plead with my cousin.

"Honey, you know yourself. You aren`t the type to go to a bar and leave with a guy. But you also need to remember that you aren`t a character from some romantic movie. Guys don't exactly woo women with romantic strolls and love letters nowadays. `Mr. Perfects` are scarce."

"If I am to end up with a materialistic prick who is interested in effing my brains out before he learns my name, then I`d rather be alone, thank you very much," I huff theatrically.

"You _are_ alone, Bella," my cousin smiles warmly.

"I`ve noticed."

She pats my hand, "OK, OK, my beautiful, sensitive, old fashioned girl. Despite what I said earlier, I believe there are great men out there. My Riley is awesome. And I have never met Alice and Jasper, but from what you`re saying the future Groom seems like a prime example of the good ones. Maybe it`s a family thing?"

"Oh, no, no, no!" I protest. "Believe you me, I`ve met Jasper`s cousin Edward once and I get shivers thinking of him even today. Pretty, self-absorbed little rich boy. Bleh."

"I know!" Rose holds up her hand and her eyes shine.

I frown.

"No," she says, "I don`t know this Edward guy, but I have an idea how to find you a man! Online dating!"

"Get lost!" I let out, not sure if more terrified or disgusted.

"Bella, everyone does it. You can look at photos, read through the profiles and play around without having to even meet any of the guys if you don`t like them."

"You are blond and crazy."

"Hey! At least when I go grey it`ll blend easier with my blond than with your dark brown."

"Are you insinuating I`m getting old?"

"At twenty seven you may not be on the way out, but I would like to see my favorite cousin glow with happiness and pop a baby or two before she has to dye her gorgeous locks."

I shake my head with a sigh.

"Rosalie Hale, if you tell anybody about this online thing, I promise you`ll be dead before your first grey hair has a chance to sprout."

She winks.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 **

**Edward**

"Dad, I`m finished for today," I slip off my apron, standing in my father`s office doorway.

"Great, son, thank you. Go home and enjoy your weekend off," he smiles and then raises his brow. "Any plans?"

"You mean a _date_? No. Cody is the best company."

"Cody is a dog, Edward."

"Dad, come on, since you and Mom received the invitation to Jasper`s wedding you`ve been at me like there`s no tomorrow."

"Your mother and I want you to be happy. You can stop rolling your eyes like a teenager, I know it`s an old song, but it`s true."

"I will have a woman on my arm at the wedding, OK?" I smile.

"OK," my father pats me on the shoulder with a comforting wink.

"What`s the matter with everyone all of a sudden, huh?" I say later on to my dog while checking my e-mails. "For twenty eight and a half years of my life everything was alright and now that Jazz is getting hitched everyone wants to know whose panties Edward`s in."

Cody blinks. I swear this mutt is the only sane being I can have a conversation with right now.

"And here we go again, spam after spam," I press the delete button on the unwanted messages. "Viagra half price... What do you think, Cody? Thought so. Delete. Local sluts… What? Is this stuff for real? Delete. Dick extensions… seriously, those people are mad. Delete. Online dating…"


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 **

**Bella**

"How`s your Maid of Honor doing?" I ask the future Bride.

"Excellent. I really hope you aren`t upset that I chose Cynthia and not you, Bella?" Alice makes her best impression of Shrek`s Puss in Boots, popping her huge blue eyes at me.

"Ali, we`ve talked about it a million times. Cynthia is your sister, she`s the natural choice, plus she`s bursting to help you. You couldn`t have done better, trust me. And I know you love me," I bat my eyes back at her. "I`ll still help with whatever you need me to."

"Thank you."

"You`re more than welcome. So, is Alec the best man?"

"Yep," she winks and pops the "p".

Alec is Jasper`s best friend and Cynthia`s had the hots for the guy since she grew boobs. Now that he`s back on the market after a split, Cynthia must be hoping that her sister`s wedding will turn big for her as well.

"And my fiancé and I are booking you as the godmother for our first baby," she finishes and my mouth hangs open.

"Huh?"

"Bella, stop it. I`m not pregnant, but you know, when the time comes," she explains with a blush.

Right, when the time comes… I`ve known Alice since high school and I can`t remember how many times we dreamed of getting married at the same time and getting pregnant together so our kids could grow up as best friends.

Not that I`m desperate, but it would be nice to fulfil my part of the dream.

Right, enough thinking, I`ve slept on it enough. I`m going to set up that dating account and browse through the men`s profiles. God, help me. Who knows, maybe at the end of it I`ll get to sleep on _someone_? ; -)


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**Edward**

"She dumped me," Emmett blurts out for a thousandth time. "She`s just gone. Poof and gone," he adds a gesture of bursting with his hands for effect and grabs his beer can yet again.

My best buddy was unceremoniously broken up with right after Christmas, so at the moment he`s nursing his bruised heart and ego in my apartment third day in a row.

"Maybe it`s the red hair?" He asks me drunkenly.

I open my mouth to comment on how stupid it sounds, but seeing Emmett`s state I know he has no idea what he`s saying, so I shake my head and smile under my nose instead.

"I knew I should have gone for a blond, you know," he continues. "Next time I`m going for a blond, blonds are good and honest. Will you be my wingman?" He blurs in the end, before passing out on my couch.

Emmett looks like a muscly bear, but inside he`s a child`s teddy and the break up is eating away at him. Not cool, Kate Norton, not cool.

I wonder what he`d say if I told him I was filling out an online dating profile. No picture though and no specific details. No way am I plastering my face up there.

My finger presses the "complete" button and I decide that`s enough for tonight. Instead of logging out though I accidentally click on "new profiles" and a couple female faces pop up on my screen. I scan the women`s smiles and pouts and notice a black furry face with huge green eyes staring at me from one of the photos. Without reading the rest of the info, I type in "Nice pussy. Yours?", hit send and panic immediately after I realize the double meaning of my words.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

**Bella**

"So?" Rose inquires over the phone.

"I did it. I`m on the site as we speak."

"And?"

"And I`m not sure, Rose. Some people seem normal and others… good Lord, are these even real pictures?" I comment juggling the cell and the computer mouse while browsing through the profiles on the dating site.

"Let me guess, guys flex their muscles in photographs?" Rose snorts and starts to chuckle.

"Uhh huh," I answer and join her in laughter. "I can only imagine what I would be looking at if gifs were allowed as profile photos!" My words are met with another fit on the other end of the receiver. "Honestly, why did I listen to you? This is some joke!"

"Bella," she manages to utter, "Have fun with it, don`t take it too seriously."

"As if I could!"

A little red envelope icon pops up in the corner of my name. I open it and my laughter stalls.

"Nice pussy. Yours?" It says. From some TonyBear.

"Holy macaroni!" I exclaim into the receiver.

"What is it? See something interesting?"

"Some pervert just wrote to me."

"Pervert? What did he say?" Rose sobers up.

"Nothing serious, but I`ll call you later, OK?"

"Remember you can report inappropriate messages, right?"

"No, no, I don`t think he`s being offensive, he thinks he`s being funny." Or at least I want to believe that!

"OK. Be safe. Report or ignore. Love you!"

"Love you too, Rosie : -)"

For a few seconds my fingers ghost nervously over the keypad, before I begin composing a witty riposte. I have an idea what the man refers to, but I`m not sure how to take being hit with a sexual allusion from a stranger.

The faceless man doesn`t give me a chance to response. Another envelope appears in the corner and I press the button to read it.

TonyBear: "Shit, shit, I`m sorry! I`ve just realized the innuendo. I promise I`m not a nutcase. It`s just that you posted a photo of a cat… Sorry!"

Haha, serves me well for putting up Richard`s face as a profile picture instead of my own. Momma apologizes, kitty boy. I owe you an extra piece of fish.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

**Edward**

Jesus Christ, this woman must think I`m a total dick! I`m not made for online dating.

Uh-oh, an envelope from BrownEyes1513. Let`s have it.

BrownEyes1513: "It`s OK. At least I did put a picture up, unlike some ; -)"

True. I type back.

TonyBear: "You must think I`m a pervert. It won`t happen again."

BrownEyes1513: "It was my first thought, yes."

TonyBear: "First? Does it mean that you had _second_ thoughts about me?"

BrownEyes1513: "Wow, you`re moving fast!"

TonyBear: "Oops, my bad again. Sorry?"

BrownEyes1513: "You`re saying that a lot, haha. Honestly, I`m just a bit nervous."

TonyBear: "First time?"

BrownEyes1513: "You`re shooting innuendos like there`s a reward for it."

TonyBear: "They say factuality is not actuality."

BrownEyes1513: "Elaborate, please?"

TonyBear: "Factuality is I asked if this was your first time on the site. You chose to perceive it as an innuendo and now you`re thinking that I insist on turning the conversation to sex, which is your actuality."

BrownEyes1513: "Interesting. However, since you didn`t exactly add the words `on the site`, wouldn`t that mean that the innuendo is also your actuality and not factuality? The only factuality is that a question was asked, the meanings behind it were only conceived by us, hence not factual."

TonyBear: "Hmm… you`ve got me!"

BrownEyes1513: "Haha! OK, let me try the mind reading now. Philosopher? Life coach? Motivational speaker? Teacher?"

TonyBear: "And which one would you like?"

BrownEyes1513: "A hot, rich lawyer who`ll shower me with roses and bring champagne and caviar to my bed every morning."

TonyBear: "Beluga? Ossetra?"

BrownEyes1513: "Beluga, naturally : -) You`ve just impressed me again."

TonyBear: "You`ve just expanded my ego. A bald, old man like myself appreciates it."

BrownEyes1513: "That`s what my young, long haired blond self likes."

TonyBear: "Mmmm, we`re a perfect match!"

BrownEyes1513: "…"

TonyBear: "What`s the matter? Why do you think I didn`t put my photo up? I`m waiting for you to discover my inner beauty!"

I`m a stupid idiot, this chat doesn`t make the slightest sense. I don`t even know what I`m talking about.

BrownEyes1513: "I was just thinking how happy I am to have found my man, and at first attempt!"

TonyBear: "Aha! So it_ is _your first time!"

BrownEyes1513: "Tsk, tsk, old man. Only one thing on your mind again."

TonyBear: "Can you blame me? I`m old, rich and lonely…"

BrownEyes1513: "Poor pet."

TonyBear: "Thank you, my naked scalp felt your gentle touch. I`ll sleep better tonight."

BrownEyes1513: "Speaking of, I should go get some."

TonyBear: "I`m here."

BrownEyes1513: "Sleep! Get some sleep!"

TonyBear: "Haha! Gotcha again. Good night then, BrownEyes1513."

BrownEyes1513: "Thank you for the chat. It`s been… entertaining."

TonyBear: "May I ask you one more question before you go? Are your eyes really brown?"

BrownEyes1513: "Maybe." 

TonyBear: "Hey, I thought we`ve established, I`m the teasing one here!"

BrownEyes1513: "If you`re a bold, rich lawyer then I might have brown eyes ; -)"

TonyBear: "Fair play. Do you have a name?"

BrownEyes1513: "Someone`s getting curious. Let`s say I`m Rose. And you`re Tony?"

I glance at the form of my best buddy snoring beside me.

TonyBear: "Let`s say I`m Emmett."

BrownEyes1513: "Oh, alright. Very well. Good night then, Emmett."

TonyBear: "Good night, Rose. Champagne and caviar will be waiting for you in the morning."

BrownEyes1513: "Aw, you remembered!"

TonyBear: "I want you to be satisfied."

BrownEyes1513:"I`m counting on it!"

TonyBear: "I just can`t help myself today, can I? Good luck, Rose."

BrownEyes1513:"ROTFL! Good luck. Over and out."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

**Bella**

"What are you going for?" Alice asks me across the restaurant table when we meet for lunch.

"I`ll have the carrot and coriander soup. I ate so much at Christmas, I swear I`m still full, although I came back from Forks a week ago!" I laugh and my friend chuckles with a nod.

"Mommy and Daddy fed you well?"

"We had all the Swan specials and in ridiculous quantities. They must think I starve here on my own."

"Aw, to our parents we`ll always be small kiddos."

"True. I really enjoyed gossiping and baking with Mom while Dad watched sports. He said it was great to see his girls together again, but he felt a little lonely on the couch…"

"As in?" Alice frowns waiting for my clarification.

"As in he`d love to have a guy, namely _my_ guy, sitting beside him and sharing the sports craze."

"I know it`s an overused and annoying line, Bella, but I`m sure they just want you to be happy."

"I do know that," I admit with a smile. "And I hope for a good man and a great relationship at some stage, like my parents` one, or like yours with Jasper."

"And that you will have, my darling, I assure you," she says elegantly. "Who knows, maybe you`ll know the one by the time I`m wed? Or maybe you`ll meet him at my wedding? Jasper has invited a few of his single male friends and cousins…"

"Ali, sweetheart, as long as they all aren`t like that cousin Edward, I`ll be happy to meet them," I make a face.

"Oh, Bella, I still don`t know what went wrong between you two. Edward is one of the most gorgeous guys I`ve met."

"It doesn`t matter. You`re getting married and it`s gonna be an amazing party. I`m happy and right now I`d do with a little bite to eat, so let`s get that waiter over here and you can fill me in on all your news, OK?"

"Right, let me tell you what my goose of a sister did just two days ago…" Alice begins with a laugh.

As we munch on soup and paninis, I smile, laugh and joke and bite my tongue a few times to stop myself from blurting out that I`ve met a couple of interesting men through the Internet. Alice is preoccupied with her wedding now, I`ll surprise her later on.


	10. Chapter 10

**Thank you for your fabulous reviews and words of encouragement! Unfortunately some of you have PMs switched off and I can`t contact you. Just know that I read and appreciate all your messages immensely : -)**

**Let`s catch up with Edward today.**

**Chapter 10**

**Edward**

"Hello, my baby boy!" My Mom sings enthusiastically in to the phone. "How is the first week of the new year going for you? I hear you were out at another party last night? I hope I didn`t wake you!"

"No, Mom, you didn`t. I`m doing great and the party was a bomb. I just woke up a few minutes ago when Tanya brought Cody back."

"You mean Tanya the new neighbor? Is that where Cody spent last night?"

"Yes, the new neighbor. She also has a dog and I left Cody at her place on New Year`s Eve; she celebrated quietly at home with a friend. The fireworks have been going on every night this week and Tanya offered to look after Cody when I went out again. I didn`t want him to be home alone and scared."

"Oh, that`s so thoughtful of her!" My mother coos. "How old is Tanya, Edward?"

I scratch my head and answer before realizing her reason for inquiring, "I`m not sure, but she said she`d finished college a couple of years ago, so I`d say mid-twenties."

"Oh, really?" The voice on the other side jumps up an octave. I should have known.

"Really, Mom," I can`t stop but laugh. "She`s funny, smart, attractive, loves animals and she`s a good neighbor."

"Well, how about inviting the smart, attractive, funny girl to Jasper`s wedding?"

What?

Trust Esme Cullen to throw you a bolt from the blue.

"To be honest, Mom, I haven`t thought about it but we`ll cross that bridge when we get there. Better tell me about you and Dad, as far as I know you partied last night as well! Is Dad feeling any better?"

"Oh, sweetie, he isn`t himself at all. He`s had this thing for the past three days. He was actually relatively fine last night and we had a wonderful time with your Aunt and Uncle, just a nice private party of four, but this morning Dad started getting sick again."

"Stomach flu is nasty, it`ll take a few days to get over the virus. Send him my best and tell him not to worry about the clinic, I will do just fine until he gets back, OK?"

"I will, Honey, of course. He`s sleeping now. I`m going to take a nap, too. And you relax and think about the wedding and Tanya, alright? I`d like to meet this girl actually," she ends with a yawn.

As I put on a tracksuit and pick a jacket, Cody`s tail wags with excitement.

"Wanna go out, boy? Huh? Let`s go for a run. Did you hear my Dad is still sick? I`ll be working extra hours for a few more days, we might ask Tanya if she could babysit you for a while sometimes."

Cody blinks his big brown eyes and licks my hand.

As I jog and play with Cody in the park I overhear two people joking about some fete they attended, and laugh to myself at their mention of champagne and _caviar_.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

**Bella**

"Any more Mr. Perverts, oops, pardon, Mr. Perfects online?" Rose jokes on a cross trainer next to mine.

"I`ve chatted with a few, one or two are quite nice."

"Woohoo, go Bella!"

"There`s Jacob - a personal trainer, Alistair the sports reporter in a newspaper, then there`s a car dealer…"

"Wow," Rose puffs heavily and steps off of the machine. "It looks like you are really enjoying playing the field, so to speak. I never thought you`d get so much into it. Tell me about them all, starting with the personal trainer. I love myself a muscly man."

"Hold your horses, Rosey Posey. Firstly it`s only a virtual pool and you can safely flirt and joke without any pressure, so I don`t worry about impressing anyone specifically and desperately. Secondly, it`s nothing serious, I`m just trying to get a feeling, if your dirty mind can conceive what I mean. And thirdly, what do you mean you like yourself a muscly man? I thought Riley had enough muscles for you?" I finish with a raised brow. Rose`s boyfriend although attractive, isn`t exactly her usual type, which is a man with well-defined arms and stomach.

"I simply appreciate a male form. Now, on with the program. What`s his name? Jacob?"

"He prefers to be called Jake, to be precise."

"Interesting," my cousin squints her eyes and I roll mine.

I won`t tell her that for the past week and a half I`ve been e-mailing and chatting back and forth with those three men while secretly wondering where the caviar guy has gone and who he actually is.


	12. Chapter 12

**Hi! My fabulous beta bethroann will be back correcting my mistakes in a day or two, so if you see something iffy here, blame me : -) **

**Chapter 12 **

**Edward**

"How are you feeling today, Dad?" I say into the phone receiver and check the clock on the wall for time.

"Much better, thank heavens. I started eating again last night and there haven`t been any more funny events. I`ll be back at work tomorrow. Thank you, son. I realize it must have been quite stressful in there."

"No problem at all. Just another day in the office and you know what they say, a vet`s job is never done. We`ve been busy enough without you with your stomach flu, believe me!" I laugh.

"Why don`t you take the evening off tomorrow, Edward? Finish at lunch and go do whatever you like."

I promise my father to pop in for dinner with him and Mom, and rush to my next patient, a young foster kitten Chester who`s ready to get stitches out of his front paws after an unfortunate run in with some sharp kitchen equipment in his new home.

During my shortened lunch hour I open my cell phone, make jogging plans with Emmett for tomorrow after work and check my e-mails. There`s a notification from ; it looks like someone has checked out my profile… A few button presses later I see her. Nice girl. An artist. Describes herself as bubbly, outgoing and sociable. Big blue eyes and blond curls. A looker. I should probably root through my photos and post one, too. Now that Dad is over his gastroenteritis and we`ll be in full forces at the clinic, I will get my life back.

And I should check how BrownEyes1513 is doing…


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

**Bella**

"Talk to me, dear girl," Rose says to me as she hands me a plate full of deliciously looking food and plunks beside me on the couch. She gets comfortable by stretching her legs onto a footstool right next to mine.

"Well, I don`t have to count anyone`s money for the whole weekend, so I can safely say things are great!" I laugh.

"I`ll never know what possessed you, such a nature lover, to pursue a career in accounting."

"Hello, don`t you remember we come from the same family? Aren`t our moms sisters?" I pop my eyes out in a mock pretence. "Didn`t you hear how it`s lovely to like plants and animals, but…"

"We need a proper job," Rose finishes my sentence while drawing inverted commas with her fingers in the air. "Don`t I know it," she sighs to herself.

"Yeah…" I nod and pick at the food on my plate.

"Alright," the woman beside me snaps, "It`s Friday night and I don`t wanna talk about work! How`s your love life going?"

"I`m still in contact with Jake and Alistair…"

"You`re two-timing? Bella Swan, I am shocked!" Rose elbows me with a snicker.

"It was you who told me to take it lightly!" I defend myself.

"OK, OK," she shakes her head. "Have you met them? I mean, it`s been a while now."

"I haven`t."

"What`s the hold up?"

I fidget uncomfortably against the soft cushions on the couch, "I don`t know… It seems weird to meet people like that, you know? They`re strangers."

"Bella, everybody is a stranger before you get to know them."

"I know that, but the fact that we met on a dating site and we know what we`re there for… it makes it awkward. People go into it with expectations. It`s different when you meet someone randomly."

"You may be right."

Later on I snuggle with Richard and open on my phone. I squint my eyes at the tiny letters as I scroll through the familiar profiles of Jake and Alistair. Then I hardly control my own finger as it hovers over the faceless name of TonyBear who hasn`t been online for quite some time now. I make a decision to ask for my caviar. Tomorrow. Tonight I`m too tired and Richard purrs so sweetly…


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

**Edward**

"Up, up, boy, come on!" I cheer on Cody who wags his tail but keeps butting out and away from the stairs leading to the apartment. "I`ll let you out again later, but now it`s going to rain and I need to go see Emmett. Come on, get in!"

"Come on, Moody, who`s gonna get in first? Come here, baby. It`s freezing and Momma needs to warm up!" I hear a familiar voice over the fence and smile.

"Cody!" I call again.

"Cody? Edward?" The voice nears the gate and a second later a mane of strawberry blond locks framing a pretty face pops over.

"Tanya, hi!" I relax seeing my neighbour and walk closer to let her into the back garden.

We live in an old building converted into five apartments and I`m the lucky tenant with access to the garden as my living room glass door leads to a nice green , fenced space perfect for my four legged buddy. Recently, after discovering that my new neighbor also had a dog, I gave her a spare key to the gate so she could let Moody outside without having to walk him. Cody adopted his new furry pal very quickly.

"Thank you," Tanya says closing the gate behind her. "How are you? How`s your Dad feeling?"

"Great, thanks. He`s glad to be back at the clinic and I`m relieved that we can take in more patients. Thank you so much again for looking after my furry monster last week."

"Oh, it`s nothing, Edward, really," Tanya smiles and waves it off. "I`m always happy to help. Besides you weren`t away, just working longer hours. Moody wasn`t so moody having Cody around more often," she adds with a singing laugh.

"I`ve never seen Moody moody," I admit when we round the dogs.

"He isn`t," the woman shakes her soft locks. "It`s just that when I got him as a pup he had this grumpy expression on his face all the time. So I called him Moody, although he`s a cheerful and playful creature."

"Just like his Momma," I blurt out.

"Aw, thank you," Tanya answers with a slightest blush.

"You`re welcome. Actually I`m glad that we`ve met. I would like to invite you over to dinner one night, as a thank you for babysitting Cody," I suggest.

Uh-oh, is that hesitation I saw for a split second?

"Um…"

"Please, don`t feel obligated, Tanya, I honestly just want to do a nice thing for you as a gesture of gratitude, nothing else."

"No, no, it`s not that. I don`t want you to feel obligated either, Cody is great fun and I enjoyed helping you out," she explains caring about sincere intonation of her voice. Then she pauses for a moment and says, "And I would love to have dinner with you."

"Great!"


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

**Bella**

I type a message to Jacobb; yes with a double "b".

BrownEyes1513: "How is the retreat going?"

He got booked as a fitness instructor on some huge conference a few hundred miles away. The men discuss strategies in the mornings and Jake takes care of their physical condition in some state of the art gym.

Jacobb: "Oh, it`s so good to get away from home for a while, you know? I`m not good tied to one place for long, I need to move around, so even short getaways are good for my soul ;-) "

BrownEyes1513: "It sounds very exciting."

Jacobb: "I can`t even tell you! But I was thinking, when I`m done here maybe we could meet up? We`ve known each other for some time now, I`ve never waited so long to see a girl before, haha!"

BrownEyes1513: "I believe it`s a good idea."

I press the buttons and feel a squeeze in my stomach at the same time.

BrownEyes1513: "How about we talk about it when you`re back in town?"

I hope he doesn`t sense my discomfort over the computer screen.

Jacobb: "Cool, can`t wait! Listen, I better go now, another session starts in a few minutes. Stay in touch."

I say goodbye to Jake and am about to exit the site when the corner of my eye spots the little circle beside TonyBear`s name turn green, signalling his presence online. Wow, the caviar man is back!

I surprise myself letting out a sigh of relief. I hope he`s OK and I wonder what caused his unexpected absence. I stall my eager to type fingers but my mind quickens. Maybe he met a woman, and it didn`t work out? Is that why he was missing from the page for weeks? Or he had a family situation? God, I hope nobody in his family died… Oh, shush, he was probably just busy. Or got bored with the lack of choice in women here. Hmm. Since when did I make him up as such a great specimen? He may as well be old and bald just like he said. Or he could be one of those guys that the media warn women against, earning trust with sweet words and witty humor and then stealing their money, who knows! Dear Lord, what am I doing on this site, I don`t know these people!

Ping!

Huh?

I manage to focus on the source of the sound. It came from the computer. TonyBear, meaning Emmett, has just sent me a message.

A flutter.

TonyBear: "Hi, Rose. I apologize for the delay in the delivery of caviar!"

Aw! Who cares, I`m taking it lightly, just like the real Rose said

My fingers push the buttons in a happy, bouncy manner.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

**Edward**

I type in quickly, noticing that she`s online.

TonyBear: "Hi, Rose. I apologize for the delay in the delivery of caviar!"

BrownEyes1513: "My goodness, if your product wasn`t so exquisite, I was prepared to take my business elsewhere! *wink*"

And we`re back with jokes right away…

TonyBear: "However would my humble company pick up the pieces upon losing such a connoisseur client?"

BrownEyes1513: "Well, I am glad to be on your list once again. I have found you to be one of the best suppliers around."

TonyBear: "Only one of? How can I work my way up the ranking?"

BrownEyes1513: "I`ll think of a suitable process, but for starters, don`t disappear the way you did anymore."

Aha, someone missed me! Yum!

BrownEyes1513: "On a serious note, I hope you`re OK and, how do I put it, you had reasons other than sad to have been gone."

My corners of my lips move up slightly.

TonyBear: "You put it very nicely, thank you. My father was unwell."

Her reaction comes through in a flash.

BrownEyes1513: "Oh, I`m so sorry! Is he better now?"

TonyBear: "Yes, he`s as good as new. It was one of those nasty stomach bugs and he was miserable for over a week. Thank you for asking."

BrownEyes1513: "No problem. I believe you. Two of my work colleagues had it too, it wasn`t pretty and the rest of us worked extra hours to keep up."

TonyBear: "Same here. I presume you have been fine?"

BrownEyes1513: "I`m great, thank you. My family calls me unbreakable. I never get sick."

TonyBear: "That`s an important piece of information."

BrownEyes1513: "Are you mocking me?"

Ooh, touchy ;-)

TonyBear: "Wouldn`t dare, nobody appreciates my caviar as much as you do. What I mean is that for potential mates, as I believe we are all here for, knowing that you have strong, healthy genes is rather significant. Strong, healthy woman is more likely to produce equally solid and powerful offspring, isn`t that true?"

BrownEyes1513: "You mean, heirs to someone`s caviar business?"

TonyBear: "You said it! But it`s also precisely what I meant."

I was so caught up in the clinic when Dad was sick that I hardly had time to pin point what was missing from my days. The funny, witty stranger, that`s what. God, I hope this individual isn`t some male pervert trolling the site and laughing his socks off at naïve guys like me, because I really enjoy the banter!


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

**Bella**

"Alistair?" I squint my eyes at a tall, handsome blond man shuffling his feet nervously in front of a coffee shop.

I can`t believe that I am actually doing this. Last night out of the blue, Alistair invited me out for coffee and informed that he wouldn`t take `no` for an answer. So I said `yes` and here I am.

"Bella?" He points at me with the same unsure look.

"Yes!" I smile and we both sigh with relief.

"Great to finally see you," he seems genuinely pleased. "You`re even more beautiful than on the photo you sent me."

"Well, thank you."

"It`s weird that we have known each other for a while, but at the same time we don`t at all, don`t you think?" My afternoon date motions me to enter the venue.

"My sentiment exactly."

Wow, he`s really nice! And attractive. I have already learned that he`s intelligent, educated, funny and sweet. There`s also no doubt that he`s very easy on the eyes. Why is a guy like that looking for romance hiding behind the computer? Maybe he`s shy or just busy and doesn`t have time to socialize.

"Ali, how are you?!" I hear an enthusiastic female voice near us as I take off my coat. It`s the waitress.

"Brenda!" Alistair exclaims with a broad smile and proceeds to hug the woman.

"Long time no see, handsome. How are things?" She asks and her eyes fall on me.

"Things are looking up, thanks. This is Bella. Bella, this is a friend of mine, Brenda."

The girl and I exchange pleasantries and Alistair places our order.

"Sorry, I didn`t know that Brenda would be working today."

"Do you two share a history?"

"Brenda and I? No! No, god, no. She`s my ex`s best friend. We all met here a couple of years ago."

"Oh," I nod and have a sinking feeling that very soon I will know much more about Alistair`s ex than I care about.

And I`m right. Word by word and sentence by sentence I learn about his previous relationship with a girl who even from afar elicits a sparkle in his eye that answers my own question why a man like him doesn`t meet women face to face. He`s still grieving and nursing his broken heart, and while I decide to stay and chat to him for another while, in my mind I have ticked the box and know that Alistair and I will never meet again, not as dates anyway. I`ll need a hot bath, a glass of champagne and some caviar after this.

And I don`t even like caviar.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

**Edward**

I hit the `send` button with bold confidence.

TonyBear: "Hi brown-eyed girl : -)"

BrownEyes1513: "Hello, Emmett. What are you doing online on a Saturday morning?"

TonyBear: "I could ask you the same question, haha!"

BrownEyes1513: "I`m watching a gardening show online. You?"

TonyBear: "Nature lover, nice! I was looking at a recipe I want to use tonight, to make sure that I have all the ingredients."

Tanya`s coming to dinner.

BrownEyes1513: "Throwing a party?"

TonyBear: "No, just an intimate little thing," I type in without thinking too much about my choice of words.

BrownEyes1513: "Oh, I see."

TonyBear: "Sorry, by intimate I mean exclusive, not romantic," I struggle to clarify.

BrownEyes1513: "You don`t have to explain yourself!"

I can sense she`s laughing.

TonyBear: "I mean, it`s not a date, just a dinner for two!"

BrownEyes1513: "LOL!"

See? Told you she was laughing!

TonyBear: "I am such a failure," I admit.

BrownEyes1513: "You`re adorable."

I re-read the last message a hundred times.


	19. Chapter 19

**Welcome to all the new readers and reviewers : -) And to all of you who have added this story to their favourites – BIIIIIIIG HUUUUUUUG!**

**Chapter 19**

**Bella**

"You`re adorable." ? No, no, NOOOOOO! Delete! Go back! Cancel!

Adorable? ADORABLE?! Seriously, Bella?!

Gee, I should really learn to think before I speak! Way too much information! He`s gonna think I`m a little girl wanting to hug a teddy. Speaking of teddies, calling oneself Bear while fishing for a woman doesn`t exactly sound manly, or am I wrong? BodyBuilderMax more so, or Adventurer69 whose message I didn`t dare grace with an answer, but TonyBear?

"So, this is the first option," Alice steps out of the fitting room in a wedding gown later in the afternoon. "What do you think?"

Cynthia and I gasp. "Gorgeous!"

"I like the fact that it`s flowy and it moves together with me," the future Bride explains.

"Turn around," I swirl my fingers in the air to motion Alice.

"Gosh, look at the details on the back!" Cynthia says.

I nod and we examine the long white dress with all its tiny buttons, sequins and lace which apparently justify the price of the gown. Exactly how many zeros are added to the innocently looking "3" in front? I usually lose count and interest after two ; -) Zero means nothing? Bloody hell, it seems like someone`s been learning to draw circles and was taking a mickey drawing one too many on the price tag. Heaven help me if I ever get to this point in my life. I`ll really need a rich lawyer to pay for this!

Speaking of men, I can`t get Emmett out of my mind. He is planning to see a woman, isn`t he? Tonight! And he told me about it like we were casual buddies, as if we weren`t on a dating site, damn it!

I ooh and aah as Alice models more dresses for us but can`t stop my imagination from serving me with images of a fine young man cooking for his date tonight, and maybe even feeding her my caviar!

Fudge, I can feel a splinter in my little heart, and it`s more uncomfortable than an occasional claw from Richard : -(

"Bella, if you don`t stop frowning, your face will stay like that forever," Alice wags her finger at me with a smile.

"Yes, Mommy," I shake my head.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

**Edward**

"Tanya, hi!" I greet the woman while walking past her with Emmett.

"Edward! How are you?" She smiles.

"You remember Emmett?" I motion to my buddy, wanting to slap him and wipe off the obvious sparkle in his hooded eyes at the sight of my neighbor`s long winter boots and short skirt revealing her shapely legs.

He`s been on a rebound spree like some vampire since the split from Kate. Not exactly a manwhore, but Em does like his ladies.

"Sure, I do," Tanya nods and says hi to "Eager-Hands" beside me.

"Night on the town?" She continues.

"Yep, Emmett`s thirsty," I joke.

Tanya laughs and before Em has a chance to react, she adds, "I see. Well, have fun and Edward, thank you for last night. I had a really good time, we should do it again soon," she winks at me.

Emmett notices the wink and the minute Tanya`s in the building, he attacks.

"Great time last night? Eddie boy, shoulda told me, you sneaky dog!"

I chuckle and say nothing.

"So, you and the nurse, huh? Tell me, did she wear her uniform? Oh god, Edward tell me she did!" He bounces around me like a pup. "And how understanding she is, you lucky piece of..."

Again, I say nothing.

BrownEyes1513 suggested that I add some thinly sliced eggplant to last night`s veggie lasagne, and it turned out one of the best dishes I`d ever cooked.

Yes, Tanya and I should definitely do it again.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

**Bella**

"And then she came out in this loveliest knee-high white dress. It was so her, she glowed in it," I recall the moment I set eyes on Alice`s final wedding dress choice. "They were all gorgeous, but that one was simply Alice."

"Did you count the zeros on the price tag again?" Rose laughs stretched out on her couch.

"Stop it, I`m not scabby, just practical!" I pout and elbow my cousin.

"I know, I know. The wedding business rips people off like no other," she sighs more seriously.

"Actually, the one that Alice chose cost well under a thousand! And we spotted the cutest dresses for the bridesmaids!"

"Aw, do tell, I need something to cheer me up," Rose directs her beautiful blue eyes at me.

"They`re simple summer dresses, white with rose print on them, and a red lacquered belt around the waist. The same length as the wedding dress, elegant and classy, but not boring. Cute and girly, but not childish. And I have no doubt I`ll wear it many times afterwards. What do you mean you need to be cheered up? What happened?" I let all out in one breath.

"It`s Riley. Not only him, I mean, it`s the both of us. We`ve lost the spark, I think we`re growing apart."

"Oh, Honey, I`m sorry. Have you talked to him?"

"Not yet. I`m not sure if I should. He`s such a great man and I`m probably just moaning about nothing. Maybe I need some sunshine?"

"Spring is just round the corner, Rose. Maybe a romantic break would help?" I rub her hand for comfort.

"Yeah, some sexing up would do me good," she purrs.

I slap her hand playfully, "Oh, so this is what you`re missing, I should have known!"

"Well, yes, that too, but not only," Rose perks up momentarily, but her smile doesn`t light up her face. "You know how it is, when you get curious about someone, they keep you guessing, wondering, discovering. You only take a little of what you want so you can build the hunger and thirst for more and reach out for a handful as you wish."

"Hmm…" I stare at the ceiling.

"I want that swirling energy that pulls two people together, no matter what they`re doing, be it cooking, shopping or even folding clothes. Sometimes they collapse into each other`s arms on top of those piles of clean linen, and sometimes they just talk, but if somebody x-rayed the space between them they would see the strong bonds. Like ropes, or like mozzarella on a pizza, you know? Stretching, but never breaking. I want cheese, Bella," she finishes with a tiny giggle.

"Rosie, you are a fricking poet. And I know what`ll lighten your mood, I`ll show you some hilarious profiles on the dating site! Come on," I pull her off the couch.

I will make sure to steer clear of Tony-the-cheat-Bear.

And will never call him adorable again!

Gosh, you think you know a person, huh?


	22. Chapter 22

**Today we`re watching Edward at work. If by the end of this unusually long chapter you aren`t completely in love with him, then I`m sorry but I can`t help you ; -) **

**Chapter 22 **

**Edward**

"Nellie Wilson, please?" I call in my emergency patient from the waiting room, a hamster who hasn`t been herself since yesterday evening.

An elderly lady lifts up a small carrier and brings it to my office.

"Oh, Doctor Cullen, I can never get over how sweetly you treat the pets along with the people in here. You`ve just added my last name to Nellie, as if she were my child," she coos as I wash my hands and peek into the carrier.

"Mrs. Wilson, let me ask you something. Do you feed Nellie?"

"Yes, of course," she rushes to explain but I smile and raise my hand to stop her.

"Do you talk to her, play with her, bring her to the doctor if she`s unwell, make sure she`s warm, comfortable and happy? I heard you were up all night last night checking on her?"

"Well, yes…" the woman looks perplexed.

"Isn`t that what parents do? As we say here, not all children have two legs and two arms, some have four legs or fur, or feathers on them. Nellie lives in your house, you love each other, you take responsibility for her life and wellbeing, that spells family for me," I say calmly.

I try not to embarrass Mrs. Wilson and instead of her teary face, I focus on the rodent.

"Let`s have a look at this little lady," I open the zip in the bag and take out a very floppy and exhausted looking animal. "Hello, Nellie, what`s bothering you, my girl? Oh my god, you are sooooo cute," I smile at her hooded eyes.

"So, she`d been acted normally until yesterday evening?" I ask while listening to Nellie`s heart.

"Yes," I hear Mrs. Wilson`s worried voice. "I thought that maybe she was simply tired, but then when her time came last night to run on the wheel, I noticed that she hadn`t moved from her spot."

"Has she been eating and drinking excessively lately?"

"Not that I noticed. But she was OK and I wasn`t paying attention…"

"It`s OK," I assure the woman. "You didn`t do anything wrong, in fact you reacted very quickly and brought Nellie to us as soon as it was possible. Hamsters, being so small can go down very fast once something bothers them. Has Nellie lost weight recently? Since you see her every day it wouldn`t be that easy to notice, so don`t worry if you aren`t sure."

"Well, I don`t think she has, but again…"

"It`s hard to tell, I know. She`s at a healthy weight, so no problem there and her heart sounds good. Hi, little sweetie, I see how you`re looking at me," I say to the fluffy creature in my hand. "I will try and test her urine for ketones and glucose. Hamsters are prone to diabetes and sudden lethargy like this can be a sign of that."

"Oh dear, is there anything that can be done to help her?"

"We`ll do our best, I promise. We have a few diabetic hammie patients and they`re doing great with some meds and special diet. But let`s not get ahead of ourselves and check this fluffy lady first. Nellie, you are stealing my heart as we speak," I chuckle and pet the barely moving animal.

I put Nellie in a plastic bowl and while asking Mrs. Wilson more questions, I get the sticks ready for readings. We`re lucky and Nellie leaves a tiny puddle in the box. I let her human Momma hold her and I dip the sticks in.

"Alright, we have no glucose in urine at all, which is a good sign. It doesn`t mean that she doesn`t have diabetes, but for now she`s fine. However, her ketone levels are high. They usually go together, but as we have no glucose here, it might indicate other troubles. The fact that she isn`t eating and drinking, fell ill so suddenly, she isn`t active and her eyes are hooded… let`s see your ears again, my little friend," I take Nellie again.

After a while I decide it`s most likely an ear infection.

"We`ll give Nellie some antibiotics and we`ll see how she`s doing on them. I`ll get her started right away," I decide and get a syringe ready. The rodent fights the spout for a while, but then she gives in and licks the banana flavored drug off. Mrs. Wilson is thrilled.

"Let`s see if she takes some water and baby food, she must be very hungry," I fill another syringe with mashed vegetables and offer it to Nellie. Again, she refuses to open her mouth at first, but then enjoys some. "Well done, baby girl, you are so brave," I coo to her. "Mrs. Wilson, It`ll be great if you get some baby food and continue feeding her in the same manner at home, she needs to regain her strength. Just avoid any jars or pouches containing garlic or onions, as the acids in them would harm Nellie`s tummy," I explain and wink at the pet, "And we want her to get better, don`t we, fluffy girl? I would love to know how she`s doing tomorrow and if she gets any worse, call us immediately, OK?"

"Doctor Cullen, I cannot thank you enough. You are an angel in a human form. You wife is the luckiest lady."

"Thank you, Mrs. Wilson. I don`t have a wife, haven`t found the one yet," I laugh.

"Oh no, I apologize for overstepping, this isn`t my place. I was convinced though, that a wonderful man like you has an equally wonderful lady in his life."

"Maybe one day. She has to love animals, of course."

"Don`t ever doubt it, young man. Thank you so much, I can see Nellie is already in love with you and I will call tomorrow to tell you how she is getting on."


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

**Bella**

"Did you hear?" Rose demands as she stomps through my front door.

"Hello to you too," I respond theatrically. "You mean Grandpa`s land? Yes, my parents rang this morning. Coffee?"

"Strong, please. I barely slept last night," she says and looks like she`s going to diverse, but then she shakes her head as if swatting a thought. She looks distracted.

"All OK?"

"Yeah, fine. Nevermind. Bella, I can`t stop thinking about something," her voice and eyes gain higher pitch as she focuses on me intently. "Now that the land belongs to us, I mean it`s back in our family`s hands, I think it may be a sign for you."

"A sign for… what kind of a sign for me?" I squint my eyes at her.

"Remember when we were kids you always played kitchen? You pretended to make jams and mashed baby food?"

"I loved when Mom made jams," I almost moan at the pleasure of sweet memories. "She poured them into jars and let me lick the spoons."

"Aha, and remember when we watched that movie with Diane Keaton? What was its name… um…" Rose clicks her fingers repeatedly.

"`Baby Boom`! I loved that movie! She made baby food in it and I wanted to be her," I laugh.

Rose and I were about seven or eight when we watched that movie on a video tape on some rainy day.

"Exactly what I`m talking about," Rose concludes and proud of herself, rests her well-manicured hands on her knees and winks at me knowingly.

"Are you thinking what I think you`re thinking?"

"What are you thinking?"

"That I should take Grandpa`s land, grow fruit and veggies and make baby food?"

"Yep, that`s what I`m thinking."

"Rose, this is very far-fetched. Not to mention crazy," I sigh. "For one, my Mom isn`t the only person with the rights to the land, it`s not like I can suddenly pack my bags and move there. This is so recent and fresh, I`m sure the whole family will have endless discussions as to what to do next," I rant, but Rose cuts me off.

"Stop, just stop! I know that it sounds like a fantasy more than a realistic idea at the moment, but please, can we be little girls again for a while and play pretend?" She folds her hands as in a prayer.

I snicker.

"If I were boss on that farm I would be serving you some delish homemade raspberry jam on a bagel with that coffee right now," I motion to the kitchen presses.

"I love you," my cousin sings. "OK, so we`re on your lovely fruit and veg farm, I`m visiting and you`re serving your yummy produce… The question is, who`s still asleep in your huge, four-poster bed, Alistair or Jake? Oh, sorry, I forgot Alistair was a goner. Then Jake. Why is he still sleeping? Is it because you wore him out last night? Oh, let me see, you live on a secluded farm, where nobody within half a mile can hear your `Oh, baby, yes! Oh, baby! Yes! Yes!`"

A splat of my jam flicks from my spoon and lands on Rose`s blouse. Accidentally.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

**Edward**

BrownEyes1513: "OK, what do you say to a boyband quiz?"

A WHA…? Who is this person and how old are they?

TonyBear: "Did I read it right, a `boyband` quiz?"

BrownEyes1513: "Not an actual band, silly! I mean the type of questions that members of boybands get asked. I hear you can say a lot about a person by having them answer some unsophisticated questions. And don`t tell me you never listened to Backstreet Boys or `NSync ; -)"

TonyBear: "Tell me why…!"

A minute and I`m sure several frowns later, comes a response.

BrownEyes1513: "Ain`t nothing but a heartache…"

That`s my girl!

TonyBear:"Tell me why…" I continue.

BrownEyes1513: "Ain`t nothing but a mistake… Haha, you`re good and this is going to be stuck in my head for the rest of the day now."

Weird that I still remember the words to this song, probably the only one from any of those bands` repertoires. Oh, the things guys in high school do to impress a girl!

TonyBear: "I have the dance moves, too! Wanna see? Step away from the screen ; -)"

BrownEys1513: "Smooth! Shall we start the questions?"

TonyBear: "Fire away."

BrownEyes1513: "Favorite color?"

TonyBear: "Oh, I see you don`t lose your time and start with the hard ones. Blue. You?"

BrownEyes1513: "It changes, but at the moment it`s yellow. Favorite fruit?"

TonyBear: "Cherries."

BrownEyes1513: "Interesting! Mine would be raspberries. Tea or coffee?"

TonyBear: "Coffee. You?"

BrownEyes1513: "Coffee. Beach or mountains?"

TonyBear: "Depending on the season, but generally speaking mountains."

BrownEyes1513: "Same here. How about your favorite dish?"

TonyBear: "Hmmm. Many, but recently I learned to make my own green pesto and I can`t eat enough pasta smothered in it."

BrownEyes1513: "I love pesto! And I bet the ladies here on the site are salivating at the man who knows his way in the kitchen ; -)"

TonyBear: "Maybe ; -)"

BrownEyes1513: "Wait, you`re saying your favourite dish is pesto and not caviar? I am shocked!"

TonyBear: "Caviar is reserved for you, Milady. I`ll eat pesto."

BrownEyes1513: "You must have played this game before, your answers are impeccable! Cats or dogs?"

TonyBear: "Ooh, nice one. Both."

BrownEyes1513: "Same here. Oh, by the way, my pussy`s name is Richard."

?

BrownEyes1513: "Holy sugar, my CAT`s! My cat`s name is Richard. The one in my profile picture. Talk about embarrassing yourself."

TonyBear: "LOL! It`s usually me who blurts stuff like that before thinking about them. It`s good to know there are other people in the world like me. I thought I`d have to find some support group for myself! Anyway, please pet that pussy of yours for me."

Now, this one`s done on purpose. After a second I type again.

TonyBear: "Oops, here we go again. Cat, I meant your CAT! Pet Richard for me ; -)"

She sends me a "blushing" emoticon and I laugh to myself.


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

**Bella**

Delicate rustle of the trees above me break gently through my slumber. My consciousness readies to start its engine, but my heart beats slowly and hurries nowhere. The warmth of the sun sneaking between the branches and licking my legs pin me down onto the plush comfort of a blanket that I am lying on.

I let out a quiet sigh.

I`m not alone. A warm breath mixes and dances with cool breeze, drawing closer and closer to my upper right arm. Just a second longer and fire will ignite…

"Hi," he lets out in a whisper, as if he needed to convince me of his presence. He brings a single finger to my skin and drags his cushion tip up and down my arm.

A shameful murmur escapes my mouth. I can`t help it. I can`t see his face, but I know he`s smiling.

"Hello to you, too," I half whisper, half moan. He loves it.

The peak of his nose replaces the finger and the decision is made, I am staying on that blanket, under the apple tree as my arm burns with fierce fire with each brush of skin on skin. He places open mouthed kisses on my shoulder, collarbone and up on my neck. How is it that each time he kisses and licks up here, it sends swirls of heat down my spine and then explodes in my stomach and lower?

I am officially in flames. As my lips reach for his, my hand rakes through his hair. God, it`s so soft…

An unromantic and completely unfitting the scene sound of alarm clock whips me out of my reverie aggressively. I don`t want to lift my head, I don`t want to wake up.

Richard jumps on the bed beside me and I revel in his soft fur.

The man`s hair felt like that as well, it was like touching silk. I didn`t see him, but I knew him, I knew he loved me, wanted me, desired me. And he was good, soft and good.

That`s all I know about him and that`s all I need to know.

Now it feels like we are worlds apart.

"I guess I`m in a long distance relationship!" I say to my cat and with a yawn, crawl out of the covers.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

**Edward**

"White?" I ask Tanya.

"Please," she answers with a smile.

I pop into a coffee shop and buy two cups of hot beverage to take, while Tanya waits outside with the dogs. We are walking Cody and Moody together and it`s a bit chilly today.

"How`s your friend Emmett?" She says with a wink, wrapping hands around her steaming cup.

"Oh, god, I apologize for him, Tanya. The glint in his eye and all that stuff. He`s been single for more than two months and…"

"Haha, I get what you mean!" She laughs. "He`s an attractive guy with very good vibes, great smile and all. I`m surprised he`s single. And there`s nothing to apologize for, he was funny when I met you two last week."

"Let`s say if he wanted to, he`d have a different woman in his bed every night and there has been one or two since he and his girlfriend broke up, but I think Emmett`s getting to that stage where he wants something stable and meaningful, you know?"

"Hmmm," she nods. "Don`t we all?"

"Oh. Is there something you want to share?" I say while taking a sip of my coffee as we continue walking.

"Maybe," Tanya cocks her head. "As it happens I met someone not long ago, but it`s… complicated. It`s early days. How about yourself?"

"Myself? Well, I almost got married once, believe it or not. But it didn`t work out and I left the relationship, my job and my apartment."

"And then you moved back here to work with your Dad?"

"Exactly."

"I`m sorry to hear that, Edward but I`m sure that you`ll meet someone special in your own time."

"I`m open to it, but I`m not desperate. And my working hours don`t exactly leave me much time to socialize a lot."

"You know what you need? Online dating! You can take all the time you need, select, play around and fuss all you wish," Tanya gets excited.

I choke on my coffee.


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

**Bella **

"Right, dress. Black or red?" I stretch my arms with a dress in each, and look at Rose.

"Red," she points without hesitation.

"Not too in-your-face? You know, too powerful or something?"

"Nope. Besides it`s not about what color you wear, Bella. It isn`t the dress that`s powerful and full of personality, it`s you! The black one is very elegant, but I feel tonight you should go for red."

"OK," I sigh nervously. "Will you help me with accessories? And a jacket, I need a jacket, it`s cold."

"Bella," Rose stands in front of me and puts the palms of her hands on my shoulders. "Deep breath, honey."

"I`m OK." Yeah, keep telling yourself that, Bella.

"I`ll help you choose whatever you want and I`ll be on standby if you need me. I have the address of the restaurant and if you as much as dial my number, I`ll be there in a flash to pick you up. But I`m sure you`ll have a great time."

"The coffee with Alistair happened at the spur of the moment, tonight is different. It`s a full on date, you know?"

"I know! Isn`t it great?" My cousin exclaims.

"Yeah," I`m trying to convince myself and calm my nerves.

"Yay! Are you excited?"

"I`m excited," I say quietly.

"I said, are you excited?!"

"I`m excited!" I shout out and we both laugh.

I have a date with Jake tonight.


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

**Edward**

"Hi, Mom. How are you?" I hug the woman whose green eyes I inherited.

"Hello, darling," I accept a kiss. "Come in. I haven`t had you over for lunch in a long time!"

I smile and follow Mom into the kitchen. Good Lord, it smells so good in here!

"Is Dad out golfing?"

"Yes, he is. He sees you at work every day, so I thought it would be nice for you and I to have a meal and a chat together, just the two of us."

"Uh-oh, I can`t be in trouble, because you didn`t call me Edward Anthony, but something`s brewing."

"What`s brewing is coffee to go with the lemon drizzle cake I`ve made for after," my mother informs me with a triumphant smile; she knows I love it.

"After?"

"After the garden peas, zucchini and broccoli quiche that a certain young man that I know loves," she winks.

"You know your secret weapons, Mom, I hand it to you," I shake my head.

"So, tell me, how`s your search for the wedding date going?" She begins when we sit down to eat.

"Whoa! Shooting already?"

I know someone else who doesn`t lose time either, Miss BrownEyes1513. But there isn`t enough quiche and cake in hell to get this piece of info out of me!

"While I was waiting for Dad to finish work yesterday, I had a lovely conversation with Leah in the waiting room. I thought maybe you could ask her as your Guest? You went out in the past, you must have liked each other?"

"Mom, Leah is fantastic, but we work together. I don`t think it`s a good idea to cross the line again. And we didn`t go out, we went on a few dates, it was a rebound for me after my disaster of an engagement. We kissed a few times and decided it would be better to remain just friends."

"Ooh, so there was kissing involved!" Mom snickers and kisses the air for effect.

"Who are you, woman?" I mock my parent.

"And how is Tanya doing?" She continues, oblivious to my silent pleas.

"She`s well. Emmett`s convinced that we`re sleeping together."

"Really? Why would he think so?"

"I invited Tanya over for dinner one night and cooked for her. She commented on how good it was in front of Em and he got all hot and bothered."

"Oh, Emmett McCarty! May he never change! I love that boy. Is he still single?"

"He is and I`m telling you, Mom, if doesn`t find someone soon, I`ll shoot myself."

"Maybe he`d like Tanya for himself?"

"He says no more redheads and Tanya has red hair, so…" I`m grasping at straws before Esme strikes again.

"Oh, what an excellent excuse," she squints her eyes at me.

"Truthfully, I think he`d go all the way with her if he could, but she scares him for some reason."

"My question is, is Emmett right in his suspicions regarding the young lady and you? Do you engage in kissing?"

"I kissed her on the cheek after dinner."

"Face cheek or butt cheek?"

"Mother!" I try to sound appalled, but can barely keep a straight face and we both end up laughing till our stomachs hurt.

"All in due time?" Esme says between sips of coffee.

"All in due time," I agree.

"I know I am biased because you`re my son, Edward, but you are an amazing man and I believe that there is a very special girl waiting for you out there. And your Dad and I will love her as fiercely as we love you."

"If her quiche and cake are as good as these, I am dying to meet her," I smile. "Thank you, Mom."


	29. Chapter 29

**Honeys, yesterday I learned that many people weren`t receiving new chapter alerts, PMs came through incomplete, and personally I never got some of your review alerts (but they are on the site, which is great!). This story is updated daily, so if it happens that you don`t get an alert, please check the page, the chapter may be already here. And if you got a nonsensically looking message from me in the last few days, with words scattered all over the place, it wasn`t me, it was a glitch in the system! I received a few funny looking ones from some of you as well ; -) **

**Chapter 29**

**Bella**

"Alice, you`re going to be the most beautiful bride in town," I say to future Mrs. Whitlock.

"And the happiest!" She exclaims. "Thank you, Bella. I can`t believe it`s so soon, just a couple of months and I`ll be a wife."

"I`m very excited for you, honey."

"So am I. Are you coming on your own or with a date?"

"I`m planning on bringing a date, of course."

"Yes!" She claps her hands and a wide smile stretches her face. "Do I know him?"

"No, not yet. We`ve only met recently."

"And you didn't tell me? Bella!"

"It`s a very fresh thing, Ali," I try to explain myself, as if it was going to make my friend go any easier on me.

"Who is he? What`s his name? What does he do? How did you meet? Do you have a picture of him?"

"Okay, alright," I gesture for her to sit down beside me. "His name is Jake, he`s thirty and works as a personal trainer."

"At your gym?" Alice throws in impatiently.

"No, he works with private clients, mostly big corporate fish who have gym rooms in their offices and train first thing in the morning or pay Jake for being their jogging buddy."

"I see. So, does he work for your boss as well? Is this how you met?"

"No, Jake and I met… online," I squirm a little.

Alice cocks her head to the side. "Online? What do you mean? You were buying or selling sports equipment or something?"

"No," I giggle. "I mean online dating."

"Online dating? Wow, who would have thought? When did this happen?"

"In January."

"In January?! Bella, you met a guy two months ago and I didn`t know about it? How on Earth did you manage to keep it a secret for so long?!"

"Slow down, honey," I say calmly. "I wasn`t exactly going to shout from the rooftops that I resorted to looking for a man on the Internet. Besides, Jake and I mailed and chatted online for two months, getting to know each other, and we only went out for dinner last week."

"How did it go?"

"We had a great time and I really like him. He`s a good looking guy with a sense of humor and obviously a body to be envied. I had met someone else before him and it was a bit of a mishap, so I was quite apprehensive about going out with Jacob. Half of me worried that he`d be all muscle and no brain, but he`s fun and educated and smart…"

"Tell me you`re going to see him again," Alice folds the palms of her hands in a pleading gesture.

"I am," I confirm.

"Yay!"

"I have to tell you though, I`ve been sort of writing and flirting with someone else on the site, too."

"Tell me more."

"It`s hard to say much about this person, actually. He didn`t post a profile photo and I have a picture of Richard on my profile, so we have no idea what we look like and who we are. All I can say is that I have the time of my life chatting with him, we joke, we banter, we tease and I love it. He seems genuine, but for all I know, he could be absolutely anybody. He could be some con pretending to be interested in me, or even an elderly woman doing it for kicks, you know?"

"A picture wouldn`t necessarily tell you a lot more about him, but I know what you mean. Just be careful, Bella. Don`t ever talk about your money or where you work or live with a faceless person. I`d say enjoy Jake, get closer to him and bring him over one day so I can meet him, too."


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30**

**Edward**

"Well, well, good morning! How is my favorite neighbor today?" I hear Tanya`s voice. It sounds like Jericho trumpets and my head is splitting in two.

"Urghsmfnkslanclkdvkld," I utter as she hops closer and takes a garden chair beside me. Does she always bounce like that? And by golly, does she have to do that now?

"Thought so," she giggles.

Volume down, world, volume down!

"Anojgorbnvfoejfeoi."

"Yeah, that too."

I glance at Cody and Moody roaming around the backyard and close my eyes.

"I declare here and now, that I will never, ever go out with Emmett again for the rest of eternity."

"Did you at least have a good time?"

"I don`t know, I can`t remember."

"Well, you looked happy when we met at the main door last night, or early this morning, I should say," she giggles again.

"See, I don`t remember seeing you either. But I`m sure you looked lovely."

"Why, thank you!"

"Anytime," I mumble. "I hope I didn`t say or do anything stupid."

"No, it wasn`t stupid."

"What wasn`t stupid?"

"Nothing. Did I say something was stupid?"

"No, you said it wasn`t stupid."

"Then, there`s nothing to talk about. Listen, I`ve got to run, I`m meeting my sister," she jumps off the chair and calls Moody.

I doze on and off all day and of course, I can`t fall asleep at night. Then once as I close my eyes, some visual snippets from last night come forth and play in my conscious mind.

Women. Dancing. Drinking. Sitting in a booth with a black haired beauty who whispers into my ear while her hand sneaks between and up my legs… Oh, god, no… I didn`t, did I?

No, I didn`t. I left with Emmett and we each took a cab home.

But the feeling of a female hand on me… cupping me, kneading… fuck, it felt good.

The memory of my fumbling with keys in my pocket at the door becomes clearer.

Tanya.

What was Tanya doing at the front door to the house at three a.m.?

We talked. I remember talking and laughing. Tanya unlocked the door and I thanked her about a hundred times. I was so grateful that the door was open and I would be in my bed soon that I planted some sloppy kisses on her hand. She chuckled a lot. I chuckled. She tried to retrieve her hand, but I kept holding it and pecking up her arm, muttering my drunken thanks.

Until I reached her face…

He eyes were smiling and her cheeks were pink. I remember now that she was all prettied up, she wore a dress and stilettos and her hair was styled, although a little messy.

And she smelled like sex. Like pheromones, like hair sticking to one`s face from sweat, like short, desperate gasps for air and two hearts racing towards climactic release…

I leaned in and…

I kissed Tanya?

I KISSED Tanya?!

Holy shit! She was probably returning home from a night out! With the new guy! She`d been out with her new boyfriend, had some earth-shattering sex and was coming home in her post-orgasmic state only to meet me, her pathetic neighbor who then proceeded to kiss her! On top of that, in the morning said neighbor not only didn`t apologize for coming onto her, but didn`t even remember having been an ass!

Emmett McCarty is dead and I`ve got to move out before Tanya sees me again.


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31**

**Bella**

"I`m so glad that you and Jake are getting closer, Bella. I`m afraid Riley and I are on the brink of breaking up."

"Rose, really? Have you done all you could to save it?"

"It looks like it. And you know what, I`m relieved more than I am heartbroken. It hurts like hell, of course, but the relief that I`m feeling tells me that my heart has already left the relationship. It`s like I`m cutting the ties that were holding me back."

"What does Riley say about it?"

"He`s away on business at the moment, so we haven`t officially called it quits yet, but I know he feels the same way."

"I am very sorry, Rose," I hug my cousin tightly.

"Thank you," she smiles and wipes a few tears off her face. "You know," she says with a snuffle, "maybe I will join your dating site? You`ve found Jake, maybe I`ll be as lucky as you are?"

"Speaking of Jake… Yes, he`s great and funny and all things good, but I don`t know, there`s something that`s not convincing me yet. I got very excited about him at first, and now every time I see him I have this feeling that I`m not keeping up. He`s really outdoorsy, energetic, constantly looking for adventure, a bit of an unsettled soul. Or maybe it`s just me. But I like him. My thoughts about him are scattered and don`t make much sense yet," I smile.

"I`m not saying that everybody has to fall in love at first sight, but I like that inkling that some people get the second they meet their one and only. Love grows and develops, but that first spark, that feeling behind the feeling… I think everyone wants that."

"The cheese," I say.

"Yeah, the cheese," Rose laughs.

Is Jake my mozzarella?


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32**

**Edward**

I grab my cell and keys and reach for the doorknob. Then, upon hearing some rumbling upstairs I stop in my tracks. I know it`s Tanya locking her door. I wait for her to go down the stairs and outside.

I`m an utter idiot and for the past two days I have been avoiding my neighbor like fire. The thing is, she isn`t the problem; I am! I was drunk out of my tree and I acted like a loser by choosing that particular time to plant my putrid, alcoholic breath on her lips. Not that I would have kissed Tanya some other time anyway, but that`s beside the point. I like her plenty, she`s gorgeous and has everything going for her, but she gives off these `friendship only` vibes and I respect that. I didn`t exactly show that respect the other night and now I`m hiding, not knowing what to say to the poor woman.

All day at work I can`t stop thinking about her. I plan on going to her tonight with my head hung low, but truth be told, a small part of me wishes that I could smack myself for not remembering that kiss. Was is short and sweet or long and warm with tongues swirling…

Oh, for fuck`s sake!

It`s after seven in the evening when I come back home and trudge upstairs, one floor above mine.

"Hi, handsome, come on in!" Tanya motions me to enter her apartment.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I`m sure! Everything OK? You look kind of tense."

I rub my sweaty hands on my jeans like a teenager.

"Tanya, I want to ask you something about last Saturday night."

"Uh-oh, what happened? Are you in trouble?"

"Well, I was hoping you could tell me that."

"I don`t understand."

"My memory keeps dishing out images of me… kissing you, I mean, leaning in to kiss you. I hope that I didn`t force myself onto you. I came to apologize."

She folds her crosses her arms and her lips begin turning upwards. "Keep going."

"Although I don`t recall kissing you, I am truly sorry for doing it, Tanya. I mean, I am sorry for kissing you when I was drunk. You have been an amazing friend and I acted stupidly, though believe me, it was out of character for me. I hope you can forgive me."

"Edward, I appreciate your words, but like I said, there is nothing to be sorry for and I am not mad at you at all. Saturday night we met at the front door, I unlocked it for you and you were so thankful that you kissed my hand and cheek, that`s all."

"That`s all? You`re sure?"

"One hundred percent. I was sober," she chuckles.

"So I didn`t force kiss you on the mouth, tongue and all?"

"Nnno," Tanya utters.

"Oh, thank heavens!" I sigh with relief. "I was scared poo-less that I had pushed you into kissing and God knows what else… The images of what I had seen in the club mix up with the ones of you and I can`t put my finger on what, who and where. I apologize nevertheless, but I`m glad that you`re OK and I only embarrassed my own ass."

"Edward, you pecked me on the corner of my lips as far as I remember. You were funny and not in the least disrespectful. Oh, and one more thing, given how much you struggled trying to guide your key into the keyhole, trust me, you would have been useless at any other activities involving aiming and guiding," she laughs.

"You couldn`t resist it, could you?"


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33**

**Bella**

BrownEyes1513: "Are you enjoying the spring?"

TonyBear: "I am! The brighter mornings, longer evenings, the birds singing and girls taking off their winter boots and showing off their legs; what`s not to love?"

BrownEyes1513: "Typical man!"

TonyBear: "What can I say, I`m a leg guy ; -)"

BrownEyes1513: "LOL! May I ask you a serious question and trust that you`ll tell me the truth, please?"

TonyBear: "Try me."

OK, this can mean a few things, but I`ll go for it nevertheless.

BrownEyes1513: "This is going to sound crazy, but I want to believe that you really are a man and you are genuinely looking for a woman?"

TonyBear: "Yes, Rose, yes to both. I hope you`re a woman looking for a man?"

BrownEyes1513: "Yes and yes. May I ask how old you are?"

TonyBear: "Late twenties. You?"

BrownEyes1513: "The same. We`ve been on this site for almost three months now, have you actually met anyone interesting? I`m just curious, you don`t have to answer if you don`t want to, I can`t verify it anyway."

TonyBear: "A couple of coffee dates, but I`m still here. And what is your experience?"

BrownEyes1513: "Similar. One coffee and a date."

TonyBear: "I`m jealous!"

BrownEyes1513: "You`re still the caviar man, Emmett, don`t worry! And you know what, I kind of like this carefree, anonymous thing that we have here."

TonyBear: "And to think that I was just about to post some photos…"

BrownEyes1513: "Damn it!"

TonyBear: "Haha, you only have yourself to blame. I enjoy our friendship too, Rose. I guarantee you that I`m a healthy male in my late twenties, I`m a professional and according to some, I have a crooked smile. I suspect that I may also have a crooked sense of humor, but you know that already."

BrownEyes1513: "It`s good to know that it`s just your smile that's crooked then, lol! A friend of mine persuaded me to join this site and I wasn`t entirely convinced how much about myself I wanted to share, hence the cat`s picture on my profile and not my own. But I am real ; -)"

TonyBear: "Think about it, we see a photo of someone and if we like what we see, we tend to make up a story about that individual in our mind to justify the attraction. Sometimes it matches the real person, sometimes it doesn`t. What you and I are doing here is the opposite, we started with getting to know our characters, personalities and so on. Do you wish to continue this way or do you want photos?"

Oh god, oh god, oh god… Do I want to see him? Hell to the yes! But what if he doesn`t match… _him_? The man who has been slowly sneaking under my skin for the past few months? The man with the soft hair from my dreams?


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter 34**

**Edward**

I look intently at my computer screen. I`ve just asked Rose if she wanted to exchange pictures. And I`m half regretting my question. What if she says yes and we don`t like each other`s faces? Does it mean that we won`t chat any longer? Can we stay buddies?

BrownEyes1513: "No, no photos for now. I like things the way they are."

TonyBear: "I agree. We have more than enough caviar to keep us going : -)"

BrownEyes1513: "I second that!"

We slip into an easy chat about everything and nothing. I find it unwinding and comforting. It`s simply human to human and I realize that this is exactly what I want. I`d be lying if I said that`s ALL I wanted, but no expectations is also good…

Later on though, as I`m about to fall asleep, I imagine a woman with a set of brown eyes, the shade of semi-sweet chocolate, with thick lashes around them, looking at me as she`s touching me…

She. What _she_? Who is _she_?

To hell with mystery, I want to see this girl!


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35**

**Bella**

"How are you feeling, Rosie?"

"It`s been a week since Riley moved out, and it`s slowly sinking in. But I`ll be OK, thank you for asking," my cousin nods in my direction.

"I`m here for you, you know that, right?"

"I do. You`re the best, Bella. Tell me about Jake."

"He wants to take me camping next week."

"Are you going to go?"

"I said yes, so I guess I`ll be packing my sleeping bag in a few days."

"Nice! Who knows what will happen in that tent!" Rose snickers.

"You are so lucky I don`t have my jam at hand right now. Is this blouse new?"

"You wouldn`t!" She laughs.

"Wanna bet? By the way, I had an interesting conversation with Emmett the other day. He asked me if I wanted to exchange photos."

"And what did you, my genius of a cousin, say to him?"

"I said no, I liked the secrecy, the enigma."

"Go figure. You don`t want to see him, seriously?"

"Part of me does, yes, but there are so many `ifs` and we`re getting on so well. Besides, I`m spending time with Jake, it`s just a little complicated."

"Things aren`t complicated, Bella, you`re making them so. It`s a photograph, you like it, great, you don`t like it, boo. But maybe you should make up your mind about what it is that you and Jacob have?"

"Currently it`s a budding friendship and I like it."

"Fair play. But can you be sure that Jake isn`t still playing the field? And this puzzle of a man, Emmett, I can see he`s on your mind often. Do you think you`d like to meet him? And if you wouldn`t, then can I, please? Because this suspension is killing me!"

"Meet Emmett? I don`t know…"


	36. Chapter 36

**Hi! My computer is fixed! I have replaced the note regarding my technical glitch with a new chappie, so if you`re a regular, you wouldn`t have got a new alert for ch. 35. In that case please pop back to the previous one to catch up. You have two chapters to read today! **

**Thank you for your patience and all the lovely messages of support! You rock! Yes, You : -) **

**Chapter 36**

**Edward**

It`s Thursday night and I have tomorrow off. Cody and I are going away to the countryside. Happy days!

I drive the dark, quiet roads and sing to some tunes on the radio. As I pull over to park the car outside the house, something I see through the side window stops me in my tracks.

What the…?

I squint my eyes and bump my nose on the window pane. Ouch.

At the front door to our building stands Tanya.

She isn`t alone.

And she`s kissing.

KISSING!

And I mean sucking face, playing tongue hockey, hands in each other`s hair… with another woman!

Fuck. Me.

Really?!

Yeah, it`s definitely Tanya, I recognize her coat! And the other person, with her back to me, is also female, there`s no doubt about it!

Talk about being stunned! I can`t move from my spot and I`m not sure whether or not I`m breathing right now.

I am parked a fair distance away, granting them privacy, but I am positive that I could be walking right past them and they wouldn`t have given a flying monkey about me or the rest of the world.

Now I understand the friendship that Tanya and I have, her coolness and relaxed attitude. The new person in her life wasn`t a guy, it must have been this girl who`s hugging her and caressing her back right this moment. The girlfriend seems as gorgeous as Tanya, and her locks are the color of pure fire flames, even in the dark! Two redheads in action; where is Emmett when you need him?!

Everything about Tanya begins to make sense, her habits, her opinions, her jokes. I`m glad that she`s happy, she deserves it. And I hope she introduces me to her hot girlfriend and soon!

After the ladies part and Tanya goes inside the house while her friend drives off in a little black car, I slowly lock my Volvo and whistle on the way to my place. I can`t stop smiling. Boy, was that a precious moment!

I open the computer and see that BrownEyes1513 is online.

TonyBear: "Hi, Rose. How`s the evening going?"

BrownEyes1513: "Great, thank you. I`ve just cooked up a storm and I`m ready to collapse into bed."

TonyBear: "Sounds yummy and I`m hungry. What did you cook?"

BrownEyes1513: "Lasagne, quiche, and veggie pie. I also baked some banana muffins and a chocolate cake. I`ll freeze some of it and the rest will come with me; I`m going away for the weekend, you see."

TonyBear: "With one of your boyfriends?"

BrownEyes1513: "He`s not my boyfriend, but a weekend can change a lot ; -)"

Cheeky! After what I`ve discovered about Tanya tonight nothing should faze me, but this tiny revelation kind of hurts!

TonyBear: "I wish you a swell time, Rose. But if you don`t, well, I hope you do have fun, but if it happens that things don`t turn out your way… maybe you would like to meet me?"


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter 37**

**Bella**

Rose stares at me suspiciously. "What did you say to Emmett?"

"I said yes."

"You did? You`re going to see him?" She softens. "Well, that`s a relief! So, when is this event taking place?" Her eyes shine.

I take a deep sigh. "Rose, I don`t know. I mean, I blurted it out, but I`m more scared than curious. Plus, I`m getting on well with Jake..."

"Oh, stuff it! You know what I think? You`ve created a fantasy about Emmett and the possible reality frightens you. You should have met him a long time ago, this dilly dallying isn`t good for you. The one thing I can guarantee you is that you will get disappointed at some point, there`s no doubt about it. The mask will fall, Bella. As for Jake, you said it yourself, this `ship` that you two have isn`t leading to Bedroomville."

"Bedroomville? What does that even mean?" I scoff at my cousin and she winks at me. "Honestly? Jacob would be the happiest man living in the woods with a pack of wolves. I`m more domesticated. He`s too fast, too intense for me, but having him as a friend would be cool. Emmett is a different story."

Rose`s eyes dance around for a minute, then she breathes in deeply.

"Bella, I have an idea. I am going meet Emmett myself."

"What?!"

"I know it`s crazy, but please hear me out. I`ll go to see him and if he`s terrible, I`ll cut the date short and come back home; but if he`s nice, then I will tell him that I, not you, _I_ myself decided to make sure who he was and that it was safe for my cousin to meet him.. In this day and age he should understand how important it is to be careful around strangers. At least if he`s some kind of a con, he`ll know that you aren`t alone and that someone`s keeping an eye on you and on him."

"Rose, I didn`t do it before meeting Alistair or Jake, why would I do it now? I`d feel like a con myself."

"OK, confession time. I didn`t know about your coffee with Alistair, but when you told me Jacob`s occupation, I pulled some strings, made a few phone calls and found out where he worked…"

"You spied on him!?"

"You`re welcome."

"Rose?"

"Before you throw any stones… We didn`t talk and he didn`t even see me. I just watched him leave his work. I had to match the guy from the photos that you showed me with the real man; for your safety, Bella. I took precautions, but I apologize for overstepping."

"Rose, I don`t know whether to kiss you or throw you into a river."

"Look, what I am proposing is I go to say hello to Emmett in a restaurant and you will stay outside in your car and observe the man for yourself. I`ll feel safer and you`ll see this male miracle of nature almost in person."

I close my eyes and sigh deeply.

"God, I hope he forgives me. If he really is who he claims to be."


	38. Chapter 38

**Chapter 38**

**Edward**

"Sooooo, you`re saying you`ve been chatting up a cool girl online and now you aren`t sure you wanna see her? Fuck, let me go instead!"

"Em, some of these women are lunatic. I met one for a drink a few weeks ago, but we didn`t hit it off, so I said thank you, have a nice life. Yesterday that same woman appeared in my office, asking why I hadn`t been calling her! In front of patients!"

"She tracked you down and came to see you at work?! **W**here`s **T**he **F**ood?!"

"I don`t want to paint all with the same brush, but I don`t need another macadamia harassing me at my work place!"

"Jeez, I don`t envy you, Edward. Maybe this is a punishment for not telling me about you online social life?"

"Or maybe I`m really clueless."

"Ed, the offer stands, I can go see that Rose girl instead of you. Apparently she thinks she`s meeting `Emmett` anyway! If she`s a wicked witch, I`ll run, and if she`s fine, then you can watch us have fun, how`s that?"

"You are a disgusting son of a gun."

"Either that or you`ll need a bodyguard to fight off the nuts! I`ll take Rose to a restaurant and once I`m convinced that she`s sane, I`ll tell her that I`m not really you and then you can do the apologizing and all the rest."

"You will sit near the window, so I can see you from my car parked outside," I command.

"Yes, sir," Emmett agrees.

I feel shit about this, but yesterday`s scene in the waiting room at work was intimidating and startling.

Please, Rose, forgive me.


	39. Chapter 39

**Chapter 39**

**Bella**

"Rose, there`s still time if you want to change your mind," I say quietly while following my cousin around her apartment. She`s putting the finishing touches to her evening attire before the date with Emmett.

"Bella, you've been repeating these words all evening. If you don`t shush now, I will take Emmett someplace else where you won`t see us, understood?"

"You`re a woman on a mission. I can`t say I`m completely OK with what`s happening tonight, but I appreciate your help and I kind of understand your reasons for wanting to do it. You look stunning, by the way. I hope that if Emmett turns out great and this charade is over, he will still want to get to know me, as opposed to running off with you," I manage a chuckle.

"Sweetheart, stop moping around, find your smile, put it on your face, get your coat and drive over to the restaurant in twenty minutes. Oh, and remember, Emmett is fully convinced that he`s meeting _you _tonight, it`s _you_ he cares about, not me. I`ve got to go," she squeezes me briefly and runs out the door.

I catch a glimpse of her as she walks to a cab and to be driven off.

I take some herbal drops to calm my nerves, then I walk around Rose`s living room in circles, and finally twenty minutes later I also get in the car.

The conflicting emotions are tormenting me, guilt and excitement aren`t a good combination. The drive to the venue is the longest and most nerve wrecking drive I`ve done in my entire life so far.

Finally I park in a narrow street across "Twilight" and immediately I see Rose already seated by the window, opposite… wow, a very handsome guy!

My heart thumps. So the secrecy is over, this is Emmett. My champagne and caviar man. He seems tall and muscly, a bit like Jake. I see short, dark hair. Are they laughing?

I watch the two people smile and talk animatedly, and the only thing that prevents me from entering the restaurant myself and ending this mad show immediately is the thought of Rose`s kindness to me and the effort that she has put into this.

My anxiety increases and my thoughts race. What is he like? Does he have a soothing voice like I imagined? Is his hair soft? Is his sense of humor in real life as quirky as it is in writing? What does he think of Rose? Can he sense that he`s being lied to?

After the appetizers I see my cousin leaving the table and walking to the back of the room. A minute later my phone buzzes and a text message pops up.

"All I can say is WOW! He has bright blue eyes and the most adorable dimples in his cheeks when he smiles : -) What a man!"

Blue eyes and dimples…

OK, so now she`s going to tell him that she isn`t me, isn`t she?


	40. Chapter 40

**Hi all! Apologies for the delay; although I have a good reason! My dear friend bethroann is drowning in work, studies and more, so I graciously accepted SunflowerFran`s kind offer to look over the rest of the chapters of this little tale. **

**Chapter 40**

**Edward**

"Dude, she`s hot! Long, blond, shiny hair, sky blue eyes, long shapely legs and even more shapely set of boobs! Did you know she was into cars? I`m in luuuuurve!"

I re-read Emmett`s text as I sit at my stakeout outside the restaurant where my best-buddy-no-more is basking in the beauty of my Rose! My Volvo is parked across the street from "Twilight", and I`m trying to figure out what in the name of all that`s holy possessed me to let Emmett substitute for me tonight.

She must have made an incredible impression on Em, because I have never heard this guy use so many adjectives while describing a woman. No, I didn`t know she was into cars, and no, I don`t like that she is, because cars are Emmett`s love, second to women of course, and if Rose loves that about Em, I`ll never get her back.

Sky blue eyes? Rose has blue eyes? Now, that`s a surprise. What am I supposed to do with all the soaking wet dreams I`ve been enjoying, featuring a brown eyed girl?!

I am pissed. And fucked up.

The lovely girl in the restaurant… the one looking into Emmett`s eyes, the same girl who, as it turns out I know less about than I thought I did, looks so happy in there. Emmett is clearly thrilled, and as painful as it is to say, they suit each other. I`m gonna have my job cut out trying to explain myself to Rose and getting her back.

I might even cry myself to sleep tonight and I am not being sarcastic.


	41. Chapter 41

**SunflowerFran – thank you for being so good to me! **

**Some guests posted questions to me in either PMs or reviews. For obvious reasons (no reply address) I cannot answer them, so as to avoid such circumstances in the future, guest reviews will no longer be accepted. **

**There`s a link to my fb page on my profile. Feel free to drop by : -) **

**Chapter 41**

**ROSE`S POINT OF VIEW**

I get out of the cab and straighten my jacket.

OK, Bella, what have you got for me here.

I look up at the bright, neon lighting that is shining the name of the restaurant where I am meeting `Emmett`. I wonder what the man`s real name is. I got my hair done, my heels on, and I even donned a brand new blouse for tonight, so this better be good!

I`m on time and he should be already inside.

"Good evening, ma`am," I hear at the reception desk.

"Good evening. My name is Rose and I believe someone is waiting for me at table Two…" I begin.

"Rose?" I deep male voice comes from nearby and I turn toward its source.

"It`s Emmett," the man smiles and points at himself. "Sorry; I watched you enter and overheard your name."

His blue eyes set on me and I feel naked. I mean, I want to be naked with this man! He`s a god!

Too bad, Rosie, this is Bella`s man and you`re here only to make sure he`s not some psycho!

He brings me to a table by the window, and from this angle his eyes are even bluer.

We make small talk and he asks me plenty of questions, but whenever I mention something about Bella, he simply nods and agrees, regardless of it being true or a complete fabrication.

Hmmm.

Half an hour into the date he squints his eyes, then takes a deep breath and speaks to me slowly, as if wanting to make sure that I take in every word he says.

"Rose… You seem like a great girl, and I can tell you`re genuine and gorgeous and… sorry, I`m blabbing. I thought it would be easy, but it isn`t and I can`t…"

"Can`t what, Emmett?"

"Before we go any further with this, I need you to understand something. I am not who you think I am."

Can I start laughing now?

"How can I understand, Emmett? Who are you then?"

"I am Emmett, I mean my name is Emmett, but I`m not the person from the dating site. It`s my best buddy who you have been chatting with for the past few months. He had an unpleasant experience a few days ago with someone from the site and I suggested that I should come to see you instead…"

As he reveals the true story behind tonight`s joke, I smile at him and thank the Almighty for my cousin`s insecurities.

Then I also tell Emmett who I really am, and boy, those dimples of his will be the death of me! The only detail that I keep to myself is that Bella is sitting outside of "Twilight" and watching us from her car.

After the starters I sneak into the ladies` room, text her, and come back to my date.

MY date.

Emmett and I come up with a plan of our own, and then proceed to spend a fabulous evening together. I don`t even notice when a certain car disappears from outside of the restaurant.

The joke is on you, dear Bella. Emmett showed me a photo of your Edward, by the way. You`re gonna love him.


	42. Chapter 42

**Chapter 42**

**EMMETT`S POINT OF VIEW**

Edward was only partially right about my being a son of a gun, I`m a lucky son of a gun! I`ve sat here for the past two hours with a gorgeous woman, and it looks like she might be interested in more than a fake date where we both pretend to be other people.

"So, what are we going to do with Bella and Edward? Should we tell them that they both played the same trick on each other and let them sort it out for themselves?" My beautifully-eyes date suggests.

"Sounds good to me," I nod. "From what you`ve told me about your cousin I can say she`s made for Edward; an intelligent, beautiful woman with a great sense of humor, and a bit of quirk. It`s a dream come true for my best buddy. Personally I can add that she`s very, very smart."

"And how would you know that?"

"She sent you to meet me," I say quietly, but Rose`s smiling response makes me sigh with relief. "And if I had to trade Edward with one sentence, I`d say that if someone brought a fly with a broken leg into his office, he`d stitch it up and put that leg in a plaster cast; this is the kind of a man he is."

"Sold!" Rose exclaims.

"Now I have a question of a personal nature for you. Do I stand a chance of leaving here tonight with your phone number?" I say timidly, hoping for the best.

"I thought you`d never ask."

Later on I leave the restaurant with the biggest smile on my face as I ponder the events of the night.

Edward, my dear friend, you have my gratitude. Oh, and about Bella… I saw a photo of her and wow, what a gene pool, man!


	43. Chapter 43

**Chapter 43**

**Bella**

It`s almost two o`clock in the morning, and my sleep has yet to come. A couple of hours ago my cousin wrote to me that she`d had a marvellous time with Emmett and that he was a dream boat. She claimed exhaustion as a reason for not giving me much of, should we say, a recall of the date, but something tells me that the story behind the story is quite different.

Let`s face it, she thoroughly enjoyed her evening out and doesn`t want to talk much about it… It doesn`t take a genius to get the meaning of this one. Rose likes Emmett, and she`s thinking up a way of breaking it to me. The feeling would have to be mutual though, wouldn`t it? Oh boy, don`t tell me I waited too long or played one game too many and screwed this up?

And why does it even matter so much, all of a sudden? I`ve met Alistair and Jake, and following Rose`s advice I took it lightly and somewhat cheerfully. How is Emmett different… special? Is it because of the jokes, and the dreams that follow nearly every online chat with him?

I`m glad it`s the weekend, and I don`t have to get up early in the morning, so I allow my thoughts to flow freely through my mind while I listen to Richard`s sleepy, steady purrs. Lucky kitty, not a bother in the world. Holy macaroni, when did I get so angsty and sappy?

What am I going to do if Rose informs me that she and Emmett want to keep seeing each other? She`s going to have to introduce me at some stage… Talk about an awkward and embarrassing story to tell your children! Hey, when did babies get into this?

Do I have the right to interfere if the two of them like each other? Am I entitled to meet Emmett myself? Should I demand a refund?!

And what did he say when Rose came clean about not being me?

So many questions, such a loooooooong night!

Dawn is already breaking as I finally fall asleep. After what feels like a second I`m woken up by the signal of an incoming phone call.

It`s Rose.

"Hi, honey! How are you this morning?"

Did she just effing sing the words? God, she sounds like the lovesick Alice! Beam me up, Scotty!

"Hi, Rose, I`m OK, just a little tired." Gross understatement, but whatever. I`m a jealous bitch.

"Meet your sister," she giggles. "I barely slept myself, just couldn`t stop thinking about last night."

"Oh, do tell!" I sober up.

Slow down, my heart.

I can hear a happy, delightful sigh, and I`m not sure whether I want to slap the girl or dive into the gossip along with her.

"I could talk for hours, Bella. Emmett is simply fantastic. He`s sweet, good-natured and exciting…" she drifts off.

She`s smitten with _my_ guy!

Or is he? Is Emmett still mine?

I listen to Rose`s musings, and I`m feeling a bizarre combination of hurt and excitement.

"Honey," I say after a while, "I am really, really happy that you had such a great time last night."

"Do I sense a `but`?" She inquires lightly.

"I don`t need to see you to know that your heart skips a beat each time the name Emmett comes up. I don`t quite know what to think about it. After all Emmett`s kind of mine and…"

"Oh, there, there, poor Bella," she laughs.

OMG, she is downright cruel!

"Rose, seriously, cut the crap. You wanna see Emmett again, don`t you?"

"I do, but there`s more. You see, last night I told him that I wasn`t really you, but that was only after he had confessed that he wasn`t the man you`d been online dating either," Rose pauses and a little truth dawns on me.

"Oh, sweet baby Jesus. Are you telling me that…"

"Aha," she laughs. "Emmett had also volunteered to check me, or rather you, or actually me, I`m not sure which of us anymore, instead of your man."

"Such a bad, overused Hollywood trick!" I suddenly realize that I`m chuckling with relief. "So, the man I saw through the window of the restaurant wasn`t my Emmett?"

"No. I mean; his name is Emmett, but he isn`t your caviar man. Your caviar guy has been using Emmett`s name the same way you`ve been using mine."

"I knew it probably wasn`t his real name, but the similarities are astonishing, aren`t they? So, do you know my man`s name?"

"I do, but I promised not to tell."

"Rose, please!"

"Nope. Both Emmett and I decided that you two should unwind this knot yourselves."

"Meanies!" I stick my tongue out at the receiver. "I`ll get it all out of you, you`ll see!"

"Wouldn`t be the first time you`ve tried. To add to your frustration, I`m meeting Emmett again tomorrow," she teases me.

"Aaaaaarrrrgggghhhh!" I growl in desperation, but my eyes smile all the while.

"Bella, sweetie," she adds warmly. "Joking aside, go for it, try, from what I`ve learned your caviar man may be just the someone for you."

"Thank you, Rosie."

As I fall back to sleep, my dreams fill with a familiar presence of a warm, loving man, who is still mine.


	44. Chapter 44

**Chapter 44**

**Edward**

After pretending to be busy all day, although I wasn`t, and pretending that I didn`t care that much, although I did, I open my computer at last.

She`s online.

TonyBear: "Hi there. Man, this is awkward, isn`t it? I can`t believe we both pulled the same stunt. I want you to know that it wasn`t because I didn`t want to meet you. I`m not sure if you know this or not, but a few days ago someone I had met for a drink a month ago found me at work and it kind of spooked me."

BrownEyes1513: "No way!"

TonyBear: "I`m afraid it was `way`. It made me re-think the whole idea of online dating, but I didn`t want to back out of our meeting, and you know the rest of it. A friend of mine told me that he would cover for me. For all its worth, I felt like shit about it."

BrownEyes1513: "No need for that. Besides, it turns out there are two of us in the same boat : -) My conscious has been eating away at me ever since my cousin decided that she needed to meet you first. My suggestion is, let`s take it easy, and when we`re ready, we`ll meet up, the two of us for real this time."

TonyBear: "I like that. I`m afraid I`ll be away for the next few days and may not be online as much, but we`re cool, right?"

BrownEyes1513: "As cucumbers. May I ask for something before you go?"

TonyBear: "Anything."

BrownEyes1513: "This may sound absurd, but when Rose told me that Emmett had blue eyes, when I still thought that she had met you, for some reason it felt odd…"

TonyBear: "Haha, my eyes are green. And yours are really brown, aren`t they? Because according to Emmett, Rose`s eyes are sky blue, too."

BrownEyes1513: "Brown eyes and brown hair, here : -)"

Oh, sweet fantasy, yes!

TonyBear: "I like it! Tell me something else about yourself, something strange or quirky."

BrownEyes1513: "Let`s see… One of my grandmothers was very superstitious and as an impressionable child I believed in many silly things that she instilled in me. But now as an adult I go against those beliefs to prove to myself that I have control over my life."

TonyBear: "Is the black cat one of the `go againsts`?"

BrownEyes1513: "Absolutely! Richard brings me great luck! I also love number thirteen. I declare all Friday the thirteenths the best days for me, and if I see a ladder I`ll walk under it on purpose. The list goes on."

TonyBear: "That`s a really good trait to have! I like old, black and white movies, and old TV shows, like The Cosby Show for example. As an only child, I used to dream of having a bunch of siblings like the Huxtable kids. I have the entire DVD collection of the show."

BrownEyes1513: "Wow, I`m an only child, too! And I also love the Huxtables! I don`t own the DVDs though : -( "

TonyBear: "Well, that`s the first date sorted then! When we`re ready, of course."

BrownEyes1513: "When we`re ready : -) "

Whoever this girl really is, she never ceases to astonish me. I didn`t know what to expect coming online tonight, after the real Rose – real Emmett date, but she is so… mine, and I`m going to ask her out for real, very soon.

Brown eyes and hair… God, how did I know?


	45. Chapter 45

**Huge thanks to SunflowerFran for correcting my little mess :- )**

**Chapter 45**

**Bella**

"Richard!" I call from the door when I come back from work. He usually runs to me as soon as he hears the key in the lock, so no kitty presence around my legs worries me, and my heart rate begins to increase. "Richard, pet, where are you?"

I throw my bag on the couch and some strong, acid smell hits me.

Dear God, not again.

I walk over to the cat`s bed and there he is, awake, but barely moving. His eyes bore sadly into mine. The smell comes from the litter box and around it.

"Oh, sweetheart, you`ve gotten sick again, haven`t you?" I caress his black fur gently, and he breathes heavily.

I`m finished cleaning up the mess when my phone rings.

"Hi, Jake, how are you?"

"Hi, Bella. I`m great, thanks. I got the books you wanted. Would you like to meet up now?"

"Normally I would, Jake, but I`m afraid my cat is unwell and I need to bring him to the vet. The bad news is that my regular vet is out of town doing some training, and I`ll have to bring Richard to someone else, someone I don`t know…"

As I explain Richard`s condition, I suddenly find myself overcome with emotions and shaking. It hits me how worried I am for my fur-ball.

"Okay," Jacob interrupts me. "Bella, I`m literally getting into my car now. Call the vet and get Richard ready; I`ll pick you up as soon as I can. I won`t have you driving now, you`re too upset."

"Jake, you`re too good."

"That`s what friends are for."

Before our vet went away, she sent all of her patients a message with phone numbers and addresses to a few other vets in the area who were glad to help in case of an emergency. I find an office relatively close to where I live, and make an appointment with a Doctor Cullen.

I place my poor baby in a carrier and I stay with him in the back seat while Jake drives us to The Cullen Vet Clinic.

"Hello," I throw nervously at a young woman at the reception desk. "I`m Isabella Swan."

"Oh, with Richard?" She smiles warmly and stands up.

"That`s right, and this is Jacob," I motion to my friend.

The woman and Jake exchange smiles.

"Very nice to meet you all. I`m Leah, one of the nurses. Doctor Cullen will see you in a moment. Hello, furry man?" She coos to the carrier, and then, without looking up she asks me, "How did he take the journey here?"

"He was all right, but I`m glad that he`ll be seen by a professional quickly. I`m surprised and relieved that I managed to get an appointment so promptly," I admit.

"Normally we are very busy, but as it happens, we had two cancellations this evening, and it was just before you rang. So it was perfect timing on your part."

"Great," I say. I like this place and this girl already. "I hope Doctor Cullen will be able to help us. Richard has never been sick before and I`m quite scared. I usually go to the vet for vaccinations and check-ups only."

"From what you`ve told me over the phone it could be a viral infection, but let`s see what the doctor says. He`s really fantastic. They both are, but now, with this training out of town we`re left with only one vet for a few days."

"Oh, so there are two of them here?" I scrunch my forehead.

"Yes, a father and son, however, Carlisle will see you today, since his son is at the training seminar."

"I see. It`s probably the same place our regular vet went this week."

"Yes, it is," Leah says.

Somebody comes in to collect their pet rabbit from the boarding service that the office also runs. We`re all busy peeking into the carrier at the fluffy bunny when a white door opens, and a handsome man comes out; he must be Dr. Cullen.

"I`m ready to see Richard Swan, please?" He looks around and smiles at me.

I would say Doctor Carlisle Cullen is in his mid to late fifties, he has an incredibly sweet disposition, a beautiful heart, gentle hands, and extensive knowledge about his animal patients. His warmth and calmness remind me of a loving, caring dad. I makes me wonder if his son is as nice.

I am so concerned about Richard and the fact that someone new is looking after him, that the visit passes in a blur. I only remember that Doctor Cullen is an angel in a human form. He tells me that what`s bothering Richard is a stomach bug, hence vomiting, sluggishness and lack of energy. My baby boy gets some fluids under the skin in case he`s dehydrated and I`m instructed to keep him warm and comfortable, to try to give him lots of water, and when he starts eating again to serve him chicken baby food or cook some chicken and rice for him. I nod and promise to follow the advice.

I sigh deeply and shake the vet`s hand, doing my best not to hug the shit out of him; I`m so happy that it`s only a tummy bug that my baby has. I know it`s nasty and Richard is suffering, but it could have been a lot worse.

I pay the fees at the reception and say goodbye to the nurse.

"She`s nice, isn`t she?" I say to Jake a couple of minutes later, as he steers the car.

"She?" He asks trying to sound cool.

"I was nervous and distracted, but not oblivious, Jake. I saw how you looked at her. And she watched you with doe eyes," I chuckle. "Spill. What happened in that waiting room when you were alone?"

Jacob can`t help himself, he shakes his head and laughs. "All I`ll say is, Leah was relieved when I told her that you and I are just friends."

"Aw! My baby boy got the best care, and you got yourself a date, this place is magical!"


	46. Chapter 46

**Chapter 46**

**Edward**

"Edward, long time no see! How have you been?"

"Tanya!" I smile and squat to pet Moody. If he wags his tail any harder, he`ll lose it and Tanya will rename him Eeyore, ha ha.

"I`m just back from work and this guy was dying for a walk," she explains. "I haven`t seen you in a while."

"I was away on business. But you were gone before I left town. I didn`t see you or Moody around either?"

"My brother`s wife had a baby and they felt a bit overwhelmed, so I went to help them through the first two weeks."

"Oh, you`re an aunt again… congratulations! Is it your brother`s first baby?"

"Thank you and yes. They live in another state and I was the only one from our family available to help them at the time. They thought that after reading all the baby books available they`d breeze through it, but the reality hit them badly and they panicked. My mom is with them now."

"I`d say it`s a blessing to have a sister who`s a neo-natal nurse."

"Thank you. I love babies and that little guy is gorgeous; I was glad to help. And Moody stayed with a friend of mine," she ends, avoiding my eyes and blushes slightly.

"Permission to speak freely," I joke.

"Fire away," Tanya answers, and looks at me curiously.

"Did Moody stay with the lovely, red haired lady whom I saw you with a couple of weeks ago… at the front door… kissing?"

"Oops!" Tanya covers her mouth with a hand.

"I didn`t know that you liked girls, but it`s cool. I think you`re a terrific woman and I`m so pleased to know that you have someone special in your life. I hope I`m not being rude, you know me, I often speak before I give my brain time to organize my thoughts."

"Edward, it`s fine," she tries to convince me while hiding her rosy cheeks. "I never told you, because it isn`t a big deal for me, and besides, I`d only met Victoria recently and I wasn`t sure how she felt about me. You know the pain of falling in love and not knowing if the other person even realizes that you exist."

"When I saw you together it certainly looked like she did know…"

"She did, thank god," Tanya doesn't hide her happiness and she looks so radiant. I wonder if a thought of me will ever make some woman glow like this.

I drift away momentarily and Tanya continues, "Remember the night when you almost kissed me? I was coming back home after meeting Victoria… She was taking an early flight out of town in the morning and we weren`t going to see each other for more than a week, so she invited me over for dinner and we… ahem, well, it was a special night for us. I didn`t want to wake up in her bed alone, so I took a cab home, and met you at the door. God, I don`t know why I`m telling you this, it`s the last thing you wanna hear."

"I definitely had more than a few that night, but I do remember that you smelled of sex to me."

"Talk about embarrassing," she hangs her head.

"Oh, come over here, give me a hug," I chuckle and pull her closely. "I`m really happy for you, Tanya, and I hope I`ll get to meet Victoria one of these days."

"Wouldn`t have it any other way. Now, tell me, how`s _your_ love life?"

"Well, do I have a story to tell…"


	47. Chapter 47

**Apologies for the delay! SunflowerFran was busy prettying some fanfics for a contest, and I wanted to make sure that my chappies have been looked over before I posted them… So, here we are **

**Thank you, Fran, and thanks to all of you for being such an amazing bunch! **

**Chapter 47**

**Bella**

"Tell me, tell me!" Alice almost lets two cups of coffee drop on her table and plunks her little bottom on the couch beside me. "I`m all ears!"

"I watched them through the window for a while, and everything was going well, but I was getting so nervous and anxious to find out what they were talking about, that I had to drive back home before barging inside and blowing my cover."

"So, what`s he like?!" Alice bounces with excitement.

"He`s gorgeous, but you haven`t heard anything yet!"

"Gee, I`ve been so busy lately, I feel like I`m missing a lot of fun!"

"Well, if not for your wedding, this fun wouldn`t have been happening, mind you," I laugh. "Anyway, the next morning Rose calls me and starts teasing me, telling me how fantastic Emmett is, how funny, witty, hot and all that."

"OMG," Alice slaps a hand over her mouth at the realization. "She likes him for herself."

"I could feel that she really wanted to get a reaction out of me, OK? So, I get a little tougher and tell her that actually he was supposed to be my man and that she was doing me a favor, blah, blah, blah. Finally, she laughs and says that my man sent someone else to meet up, too, and the one she met wasn`t mine, but his best friend! Get it? My caviar man played the same trick I did!"

Alice bursts out in laughter.

"Oh, gosh, ha ha ha ha," she roars as she wipes tears off her face. "I`m sorry, Bella, but this is too funny. What are you going to do now?"

"We`re back to square one. TonyBear and I are online, chatting and joking, but we have decided that clearly we weren`t ready to meet up yet."

"You know," Alice tries to compose herself, "I realize that your cousin only moved back to town a year ago, but this is no excuse for having me meet her only a handful of times. This girl sounds like a riot, and I want to get to know her properly. In fact, how about lunch one day next week, the three of us together? Do you think Rose would be up for that?"

"Oh, she definitely would!" I nod with a broad smile.

"I need to learn more about Emmett, and maybe you and I together will be able to persuade her to tell you more about your man? Or maybe we could do a library or quiet café crawl to find you a real man; flesh and blood, since this apparently amazing guy is too shy to stand face to face with you?"

"Rose told me to go for it, but she hasn`t commented on it since. She`s too busy getting all lovey-dovey with Emmett anyway," I chuckle. "But I`m forbidden from meeting him yet."

"She has you to thank for meeting him, so how about a little guilt trip?"

"I`ve tried, she`s too ballsy for that, it doesn`t work."

"You know, I love the fact that I`m marrying Jasper, and I`m enjoying the preparations for our big day, but boy, do I miss our girly antics!"


	48. Chapter 48

**Chapter 48**

**Edward**

I jump out of the car and rush into the store. My parents invited me for dinner, and I promised Mom that I would get ice cream for dessert. My Aunt and Uncle Whitlock will be there tonight, and I know they`ll be talking about Jasper`s wedding while trying to get some info regarding my own love life out of me. For that reason I`m not exactly in a hurry, but I don`t want to be rude and gallivant in late, either. My Mom likes everyone to eat their meal fresh and hot, so I`m rushing, but slowly, if that makes sense.

As it`s nearing six thirty in the evening, families with children have done their shopping earlier, and now there are only a few couples and single people grabbing ready-made meals from the shelves.

I stroll past the cheese and yoghurt section and over to the frozen foods. I look through the glass doors and shiver at the chill coming from the refrigerators.

Pizza... no, I mutter to myself.

Frozen peas… carrots… no.

Oh, here we are, ice cream!

I reach for the handle without looking, and feel foreign, warm skin under my palm.

"Oh, sorry, forgive me!" I call out and look at the person in front of me.

"Oops!" A feminine voice reaches my ears.

As something clicks in my brain, I give the woman a second glance.

She also focuses on my face a tiny bit longer than you usually would on a stranger…

I know her, but where from?

Oh.

"Bella?" I ask tentatively.

"Um, yes, it is," she speaks slowly, with her eyes frantically searching for me in her memory. "You`re Edward, aren`t you?" She says with hesitance.

"That`s right," I admit gladly.

Well, at least Miss Diva remembers me, I mustn`t have made such a bad impression on her after all.

"Do you live nearby? I`ve never seen you here before?" She sounds polite.

I can`t help but notice her chocolate brown eyes, and the same color waves falling on her shoulders.

"No, I don`t. I`m on the way to my parents` house for dinner and picking up dessert."

"I see," she nods.

I want to tuck a stray strand of her hair away from her face… It looks so touchable. She tries to flip her head to move the hair away while balancing a few items in her hands. She didn`t get a basket or a trolley; I rarely do that either, and it makes me want to laugh.

"Do you need help with these?" I motion to her full hands.

Are these pouches and jars of baby food she has here?

"I wanted a box of raspberry sorbet. If you wouldn`t mind putting it on top of the pouches, I`d be very grateful, thank you," she says with an awkward smile.

God, she`s beautiful. Pity it doesn`t go together with her character.

Baby food?

She`s a mom?

I didn`t know that. I never asked about her since that party at Alice and Jasper`s, but didn`t he mention Bella some time ago, when we were talking about my date for the wedding?

I must have gotten it wrong. It`s been how long now, about a year and a half since I`ve seen Bella, she must have got married and had a baby… Wow. It looks like Jasper`s knowledge about her is a little rusty, too.

She says a quick `thank you, take care` and rushes to the check outs while I stand there in front of the freezers, bamboozled. Eventually, I pick up a large container of Mom`s favorite ice cream, and top it with a box of raspberry sorbet, which I have never tasted before. I also direct my steps to the scanners and see that Bella`s already gone. She must have dashed back to her man and baby.

All evening I can`t stop thinking about the girl; the warmth in her eyes, the delicate scent of freshly washed clothes, her feminine figure hugged by a short, fitted jacket…

Long into the night, I wonder what went wrong at the party where we met. I can`t remember doing or saying anything wrong, and truth be told, I can`t even remember talking to her at all that night.

God, I was so absorbed by the thoughts about a woman who is most probably married and a mother, now, that I forgot to check if BrownEyes was online.

Shit!


	49. Chapter 49

**Chapter 49**

**Bella**

"Ladies," I look at Alice and Rose, "here`s to our first lunch together, may it become a new tradition," I raise my glass of wine.

We clink the glassware and take a sip.

"Rose, before I forget," Alice directs her business-like voice at my cousin, "Jasper and I are organizing a little party soon, and I would love for you and Emmett to come. Bella says she she`s OK with it."

"I am," I confirm. "I`m quite looking forward to meeting this man."

"That I know all too well!" Rose laughs, and then she turns to Alice, "I`d love to come to your party, thank you, Alice."

"It`s just a bunch of people who`ll be at our wedding, like friends and cousins. We`re hoping that it`ll help break the ice, and the guests will feel more comfortable at the reception having met each other before," Alice explains.

"Very good idea," I agree. "Speaking of friends and cousins, guess who I met at the grocery store a few days ago? Jasper`s cousin Edward."

The name catches the attention of both of my companions.

"Really?" Alice sings. "How is he doing these days?"

"I don`t know, we just exchanged pleasantries. He looked good. Very good, actually," I admit. "He was going to his parents` house for dinner. I didn`t know they lived closely to me."

Alice shakes her head, "They don`t. I think their house is somewhere in the suburbs, but the clinic is just a few miles from your place, if I remember well."

"Clinic?" I get curious.

"Veterinary clinic," she states matter-of-factly. "Cullen Vets, Bella."

"Cullen Vets?" Rose and I ask simultaneously.

"Do you know them?" Alice says to Rose.

"No," Rose protests, "I mean, I don`t have any pets."

"Are you OK, Rosie? You look pale," I notice my cousin`s white-ish cheeks. She nods that she is fine.

"Anyway," Alice continues, "Edward is a vet, Bella, you know that, right?" She watches my confused expression. "He and his dad Carlisle run a veterinary clinic together. I`m surprised that you aren`t aware of it."

"Carlisle Cullen is Jasper`s uncle?"

"Aha."

"And Edward Cullen is a vet, Carlisle`s son, and Jasper`s cousin?"

"Aha," my friend repeats as Rose fidgets in her seat.

"Several days ago I brought Richard to their clinic, Alice!"

"So, you met Edward?" Rose throws in.

"No. They aren`t my regular vets; I usually go to Siobhan O`Connell, but she was away at some training, and Richard had gotten very sick, so I brought him to the nearest clinic available, which was the Cullen Vets. The nurse told me that only one doctor was present at the time, because the other one had gone to that training, also."

"Well," Alice concludes, "that other vet must have been Edward. Bella, I can`t believe you didn`t know that. What did you two talk about at the party over a year ago? The weather?"

"We didn`t actually talk at all," I say. "Rose, are you sure you`re all right? You were pale a minute ago, and now your cheeks are burning."

"I`m absolutely fine, I`m just into your story," she defends herself and takes a swig of cold water from her glass.

"Bella, what do you mean that you and Edward didn`t talk at the party?" Alice sounds very inquisitive. "You said you didn`t like him, but how`s that possible if you didn`t have a conversation with him? Is it that you didn`t find him attractive? Is this what you meant by `don`t like him`?"

"No, no, to be honest he couldn`t be more my type, but the way he talked that night put me off. He was in a group of men and speaking very loudly, using foul language like it was the most natural and normal vocabulary. He was saying that he would never look at a girl with no money or status; that only the richest and the hottest would do, to match his own. He had this looks in his eyes… it was awful, and I didn`t even want to be near him after that."

"Oh, Bella," Alice frowns, "That party took place not long after Edward`s fiancée ran off with somebody else, maybe he was still bitter. However, I`ve never heard him speak ill of his ex-fiancèe or any other woman. Of course, I don`t know him very well, but this sounds strange. Are you sure it was the same man?"

"One hundred percent," I state strongly.

Rose examines Alice`s face while my friend winces.

"It sounds very unlike the Edward that I know. He`s always a perfect gentleman; that`s why Jasper and I directed you to him at the party. I thought that you two had talked and didn`t hit it off. I should have introduced you to him personally, but we had forty people over that night…"

A short while later I say goodbye and leave the restaurant, and I`m happy to see that Rose is staying with Alice a bit longer. It`s great that they`re becoming fast friends. Pity it didn`t happen for Edward and me. After I met him while shopping, I couldn`t stop thinking about those green eyes, his smile and bronze hair…


	50. Chapter 50

**Chapter 50**

**Edward**

"Edward, my man, how are you?" Jasper asks as he pats my shoulder.

"Never better. How are you getting on? The big day is imminent," I wink.

"Yep, and I still wanna do it!" He jokes. "About that, Edward; Alice and I are throwing a dinner party together for some relatives and friends from both sides of the family who are invited to the wedding. You know, to help get familiar with each other and know who`s who at the actual reception. And of course, you`re cordially invited to this informal get-together."

"I`ll be there, thanks. Oh, tell me, Jasper, is Alice`s friend Bella invited?"

"The one that you aren`t a fan of? She is, sorry."

"That`s not what I`m saying. It`s just that I met her at the grocery store a few days ago, and she was buying baby food. I didn't know she had a baby. She must have met someone soon after your last big party."

"Bella had a baby?" Jasper`s eyes pop open wide. "No. She`s single. Unless I`m completely out of the loop…" he scratches his head. "Geesh, Edward, that`s weird, Bella is Alice`s best friend, I would have known if Ali`s best girl got married or hooked up with some guy and had a child. Is it possible that she was buying that food for someone else?"

"I suppose it is, I didn`t ask her about it."

"It must have been for a neighbor or a friend. Anyhow, she`s invited to the party, so you can chat with her then," he snickers, knowing that I would scrunch my nose at the idea.

"Talk to Miss Diva? She sounded OK when we talked at the store, but at that party… I don`t know what had gotten into her."

"What exactly went down between you two back then, Edward? We had a proper crowd here; people were laughing and talking over one another."

"If I only knew, Jasper. Remember that guy James that I used to study with, the one with the huge inheritance?"

"The one who broke up with his model girlfriend, because she wanted marriage and kids and he didn`t?"

"That`s the one. I met him a few weeks after my engagement fiasco, and he started telling me how his model girl found out that he was loaded, and she wouldn`t shut up about getting hitched and popping his kids to keep tabs on his money; his words, not mine. He said he got himself a model to show off and have fun with, not to have her ballooning while pregnant, and all that other shit. I`d made a mistake and told him about my love life disaster, and he was getting worked up, saying how we should `fuck all the women` and `steer clear of wannabe Cinderellas`… I mean; he was something else. I was going through a broken engagement and the pain of having been repeatedly cheated on at the same time, but I thanked God that I wasn`t bitter like he was, and I still believed in relationships. I wasn`t ready to jump into another one at the time, but I knew I`d probably want one at a later stage."

"So, back to the party," Jasper suggests.

"Oh, yes, sorry, the party. I remember that there was a group of us talking about relationships and break ups, when I noticed Bella around. I didn't know who she was, but she caught my eye. She wasn`t involved in our conversation, I saw her talking to some other people. At some point, she got closer and then threw a few disgusted faces in our general direction, and then marched off. I tried to talk to her later on, but she said she was leaving and didn`t have time."

"Edward, could it be that Bella overheard you recalling your talk with James? I was near you for a while and you were very expressive and convincing."

"You think that she overheard me that saying `fuck them chicks, from now on only the hottest asses and dumbest minds will do`?"

"What if?"

"But those weren`t _my_ opinions, I was just putting on a voice to imitate James."

"She didn`t know that though, did she?" My cousin suggests.

"She didn`t know," I agree. "_If_ this is what really happened…" I stare in the distance. "Fuck, imagine, if this theory proves true, then this girl has thought of me as a total prick for a year and a half now, and for no reason really. It was just a misunderstanding."


	51. Chapter 51

**Chapter 51**

**Bella**

"Ginger tea and apple crumble. Enjoy," the waitress announces with a smile as she places my order on the table in front of me.

"Thank you very much, it looks yummy," I respond.

As she walks away, I finish composing the text message to Jake. Yesterday we had a conversation about his dating Leah, the veterinarian nurse from the Cullen Vets Clinic. I find it quite ironic that they met at Edward Cullen`s workplace, given the intention that Alice and Jasper had had for him and me in the past.

Jacob is indisputably very much into Leah, and they`re going away for a weekend of trekking with a group of other people. I wish him a fun time and press the `send` button on my cell, before directing my eyes to my hot beverage.

"Oh, sh… I mean, sugar, I`m sorry!" My table wobbles a little, as I hear a deep, male voice beside me.

"It`s okay, no harm done," I answer, looking up at the man`s face.

Wow, what piercing blue eyes, and those dimples!

Do I know him?

"Bella?" Now, that voice I would recognize anywhere; it`s my dear cousin Rose.

Oh, I know who this man is!

My heart speeds up as if it`s trying to break a record…

"Rosie," I smile and stand up to embrace her.

"Well, what are the chances," she says, while her eyes jump between her companion and me. "Bella, please meet Emmett; Emmett, this is Bella," she manages the introductions before sighing heavily.

"Bella," Emmett repeats to himself and gives me another glance. "Oh, of course! You are…" he looks at me, then at Rose, then at me again. Rose and I both nod. "Bella… wow. It`s great to meet you, however; it`s also awkward," he smiles and we shake hands. "I thought you looked familiar. Of course, Rose showed me a photo of you…" he drifts off.

"On your date, I know," I shake my head. "It`s fantastic to meet you face to face, Emmett. I can`t say Rose told me all about you, because she`s afraid of giving away too much, if you know what I mean," I wink at him, and Rose chuckles. "Listen, are you taking out or staying, because you`re welcome to sit with me," I nod at them both and air pat the chairs.

They order their coffee and cakes, and for the next hour we chat like we`ve all known each other since diapers. Emmett is a hoot, there` s no need to ask what Rose sees in him; he`s a sweet, smart man, and the way he looks at her… something tells me that I will see a lot more of him for a long, long time.

All the while, I keep wondering if TonyBear is anything like him. They`re best friends, so he should have similar traits, shouldn`t he? Emmett refuses to tell me any more about the mysterious man, leaving it to me to discover for myself, as he says. A few times, I catch him squinting his eyes while watching me intently, as if he`s trying to picture me somewhere else, maybe with someone else, who knows. Then each time he smiles warmly in the end. It`s killing me that he knows my caviar man, and I don`t!

I say my goodbyes to the lovebirds and walk to the library as thoughts swirl in my mind.

I meet Jacob as a potential beau. It didn`t work out, but thanks to me he soon meets a woman who either already has, or will soon, become his darling. Not having learned a lesson, I try to be clever again with the online dating, and send my gorgeous cousin to meet another potential beau. It turns out that he is at least as smart as I am, and sends his best buddy instead, who in turn quickly makes my cousin the queen of his heart, and goodness knows what else.

And here`s little me, still alone, planning on an evening in bed with a good book and a mug of hot chocolate.

Go figure.

Maybe I`ll open my own matchmaking business?

But not before I bring Richard to the vet`s for a check-up. That virus kept a firm hold of him for a few days, and he lost some weight, as well as the spark in his eyes. The baby food that I had stacked up on saved us afterwards, when he was too weak to bite and chew, and his stomach was too sensitive to digest dry cat food. I`m glad that our regular vet is back in town, I`m not sure I`d like to bump into Edward Cullen at this point.

Doctor Edward Cullen. Fuck, it sounds hot.

Did Alice say that he was once engaged, and his fiancée dumped him for someone else?

Poor man.

I need to make plans to meet TonyBear for real, because this is driving me crazy!


	52. Chapter 52

**Chapter 52**

**Edward**

"So, you`re coming with me tonight, right, just a few quiet ones? Peter pulled out, so it`s Garrett and us," I do my best to convince my best friend to join me for a few drinks. Since he met Rose, he hasn`t been occupying my couch as much, and I sort of miss it.

"I don`t know," he moans. "I`m seeing Rose in the morning, and if I drink tonight, I`ll be unconscious until tomorrow noon."

"Em, I`m not talking about getting blasted, it`s a few beers with Gar and me, to unwind. You`ll be fresh as a newborn baby in the morning, and you can do whatever it is that you do with Rose, all day. Please, spare me the details," I add as a warning.

"I`m a gentleman, thank you very much," he retorts with a pout; it`s a hilarious sight.

"You really like her," I state matter-of-factly.

"I used to think that guys like that were wussies, but when you click with the right girl, it just feels good and right."

"Well, congrats, man," I say and pat Emmett`s shoulder. "I hope her cousin is just as awesome."

"I think you two should quit this dancing routine, meet up and get it going," he kind of sings to me. "Think about it, Ed; we`ll get the girls wine, chocolate and some DVDs, and we can slip out for a few! Genius or what?"

"You`re already organizing our family time, I see. You don`t know this girl either," I begin, but upon catching Emmett`s eyes… "Em, has something happened that I don`t know about?"

"Rose and I bumped into your girl the other day."

"And?"

"And I`m wondering what the hell you`re doing here talking to me, when you could be wooing her at the same time!"

"That good?"

"You`re an idiot, and you can drink alone tonight," he pouts again.

I should listen to him and meet up with this girl. Maybe then I`ll stop waking up in sticky sheets thanks to the few memories that I have of Bella Swan, and the images of her squeezing the last drops out of me. I wouldn`t dare jerk off to her image during the day, knowing that she has a partner and a kid, but I don`t control what happens to me at night, now, do I?

Oh, sexual frustration, when did you sneak in?


	53. Chapter 53

**Chapter 53**

**Bella**

"Are you and… you know, the caviar man… still in touch?" Rose exercises her diplomatic skills.

"We are, although for the past week not as much as we used to. He`s working long hours and I`ve been hanging on the phone with my parents and with solicitors."

"Is it about Grandpa`s farm?"

"Yes," I tell her. "For the first time I can feel it, Rose; I can see myself living there, growing apple and cherry trees, all sorts of berries; making jams and juices, and living a sweet, simple life, you know? And it isn`t far from the city, I`d be able to commute very easily and quickly. My caviar man had better be a nature lover if we want something to happen between us, and given that you don`t want to even tell me his name; I can`t picture him there at the moment," I give out.

"Honey, I`ll tell you honestly that I was softening and wanted to bypass the agreement that I have with Emmett, but," she says, rolling her eyes, "let`s say that new circumstances arose, and I can`t. Believe me, you`ll be glad I didn`t."

"You are evil, and it appears that you and Emmett are worthy of each other," I laugh.

"Oh, speaking of," she checks her watch, "I need to go, he`s waiting for me."

"You`re impossible."

"I think I`m falling for him, Bella," she adds shyly, with emotion in her voice.

Gee, talk about disarming abilities!

"Oh, Rosie, that`s so sweet. Tell you what, I`m taking some time off to go see the farm, talk to people, consider the possibilities and such, but when I get back, I`m going to have you and Emmett over for dinner at my place. And maybe his best friend would like to join us, too?"

"You don`t want to meet him on your own for the first time?"

"How about a quick snack together, to break the ice, and then we separate?"

"Great idea! One more question, will you be back for Alice and Jasper`s party?"

"Oops, I forgot. I`ll do my best, but I can`t promise I`ll make it."

"Do whatever you can, Alice is counting on you. And you never know who you might meet there."

"Who? Edward Cullen will be there, that`s who," I try to keep the tone of my voice casual. I can`t tell Rose that his handsome face keeps popping into my mind at least a few times a day…


	54. Chapter 54

**Chapter 54**

**Edward**

"Do you remember about the party coming up?" I hear from Jasper.

"Alice made you ask, didn`t she?" I laugh.

"Something like that," my cousin scratches his head awkwardly; "She wants to make sure that everyone makes it By the way, I have news for you, Edward."

"Oh?"

"Regarding Bella. I told Alice about the baby food that you saw in Bella`s hands when you met her at the store, and she says that you either got the person, or the type of food, wrong. And since you`re sure it was Bella at the store, and she recognized you, you must have gotten the food wrong."

"They were Beech Nut and Earth`s Best, Jazz."

"And they are what exactly?" He looks at me confused.

"Baby food brands."

"Baby food brands," he mocks me. "Edward, how on earth do you know baby food brands? Wait, maybe you are the one hiding a baby somewhere, not Bella?"

"Very funny, but if you must know, we give baby food to weak or recuperating animals at the clinic. It`s nutritious, easy to swallow since it`s mashed, and easy on the stomach."

"Impressive," Jasper nods. "You`ll be my go-to person if I need advice as a young father. In the future though, not yet!" He adds feverishly.

For some reason I`m proud of myself.

"You do that," I say.

"Back to Bella though, Alice says that Bella absolutely and definitely doesn`t have a baby. She must have been helping out a friend or a neighbor."

"Must have," I repeat to myself.

"And she`s single. Bella, I mean," he informs me and raises a brow. "Just saying."

I roll my eyes, "Jazz, I`m not inviting Bella as my date to your wedding."

"We`ll see about that," he teases me again.

"I`m serious here, Emmett`s new girlfriend`s cousin … you know, the girl from the dating site…" I begin, and watch as Jasper takes a turn at rolling his eyes at me. "Ugh," I puff.

I get chirpy when I find a message from said girl in my inbox later in the evening.

BrownEyes: "How are the caviar and champagne today?"

TonyBear: "Bubbling ; -)"

BrownEyes: "Excellent, and by the way, I had the pleasure of meeting your friend Emmett."

TonyBear: "I know, and I`m sorry."

BrownEyes: "Ha ha! I`m serious (for once ; -) ) it really was a pleasure to meet him. He`s a decent man and he makes my cousin happy."

TonyBear: "Believe me; it took me years to train Emmett, lol! He`s been monopolizing Rose, but I`ve been promised to meet her very soon. She must be a saint, being with Em."

BrownEyes: "Uhm … saint probably isn`t the word I would use to describe Rose… *wink,wink*"

TonyBear: "Well, this explains a lot then! Now I know why they have been getting along so well, and why I barely see my best buddy anymore."

BrownEyes: "Same here, ha ha! On a more serious note, I have some business to attend out of town, but when I`m back, what would you say to a … date, a proper one this time? I like the slow burn, but this has reached the point of becoming frustrating, especially now that Rose and Emmett are dating, and even another guy I met on this site has recently met a woman, thanks to me, nonetheless. I think it`s my/our, turn to meet."

TonyBear: "Delight! I`m busy this coming week as well, but the week after, I can have the Cosbys at the ready practically any evening. Just let me know when you`re back in town."

BrownEyes: "Sounds great! Listen, I`d better go pack now, but I`m really excited for our meeting : -)"

TonyBear: "Good luck, and see you soon then!"

It looks like there`s going to be a competition between Jasper`s choice for me, and Emmett`s. I can`t complain; it looks as if, theoretically, I`ve come from zero to two, supposedly awesome, girls.

Talk about feeling macho!


	55. Chapter 55

**Chapter 55**

**Bella**

"Thank you for lending me the books, Jake, they`re really good," I say as I hand a couple of titles back to their owner.

"Any time Bella, I might have a couple more on nutrition. I`ll take a look at home and will let you know."

"Thanks, I appreciate it."

"Is this to do with your farming plans?"

"Yes. I`m going to look at the land, and I`m trying to figure out what fruits and vegetables would make the most sense to grow, how they go together in blends and so on."

"I have a friend who does that, too. He started with growing large quantities of raspberries in his backyard when we were still in high school. Most of us laughed at him, but now he owns vast gardens and orchards, and of course he`d have the last laugh knowing that the rest of us pay good money for his produce. I can put you in contact with him. Also, Leah is into organic food; I`m sure she knows local growers, and could direct you, too."

"That`s so helpful and kind, Jake. Speaking of, how is Leah doing?" I change the subject and watch Jacob`s face as it brightens up.

Wow, that was a silly question.

"Leah is perfect, and I`m aware that I have you to thank for meeting her."

"Well, in all fairness, it was Richard who had needed medical attention and not me, but you`re welcome. I went online in the hope of finding a nice guy whom I could bring as a guest to my friend`s wedding. It`s funny how that little plan took its own course, and how it`s changed a few other people`s lives."

"I know. You know what they say; life writes the best scenarios. But Bella, you and I are friends, and I would be honored to accompany you to the wedding; if you want me."

"Aw, Jake, thank you; I will definitely keep it in mind. That reminds me; I need to send my RSVP to Alice and Jasper; their wedding is in June."

"Well, then you still have a couple of weeks left, but you know where to find me."

If TonyBear and I like each other, it will mean I`ll have two men to choose from as guests to bring to the wedding. To go from zero to two … not bad Bella, not bad at all!


	56. Chapter 56

**Hi all! :- ) Thank you so, so much for the ongoing support, reviews and messages. My heart sings each time you get in touch!**

**SunflowerFran, thank you for your magic red pen, and your dedication to making this tale look presentable : -)**

**Chapter 56**

**Edward**

"I`ll have the cauliflower and lentil salad to take out, please," I say to the young woman over the counter, trying not to lick my lips too obviously at the sight of the food.

Two female voices behind me discuss the dishes, and I realize that one sounds very familiar to me, so I turn around and see Tanya with another woman.

Oh, it`s the girlfriend.

"Hello, ladies, lunch break?"

"Edward!" Tanya calls out. "Yes, it`s lunchtime. Victoria, please, meet Edward, the neighbor I`ve been telling you about. Edward, this is Victoria," she says proudly.

We exchange pleasantries, and they invite me to sit down with them. I turn back and ask that my meal be brought to the table. Victoria and the girl who serves the food seem to know each other, and after an exchange of some secret signs between the two, I am told to put the money away, and directed to a seat.

Maybe it`s the `pay forward` thing?

"Hmm, broccoli and black bean," I say, admiring Victoria`s plate a while later. "I had it just the other day, it`s really good."

"My favorite lunch," she answers and winks at Tanya. "Have you tried the cakes?"

"The raw slices?" I say. "Honestly? I`d have sex with the orange chocolate ones."

The two women laugh.

"Oh, my God, I swear I have never gotten such a raving review for my goodies!" Victoria manages to inform me through her fit.

"Your goodies?" I inquire, confused.

This time Tanya explains, "Victoria owns this place, Edward."

"Oh! `Victoria`s Living Foods`, of course, it makes sense! I thought that your name was just a coincidence. It`s new in the area, isn`t it?"

"You`re right, Edward; we only opened a few months ago," Victoria admits.

"And how did you decide to go vegan?" I`m curious.

"When I was little, my parents discovered that I was allergic to egg, and had lactose intolerance. My mom tried various egg and dairy free recipes, and the whole family, including my two brothers, loved them. So Mom began experimenting with all sorts of foods, and we all concluded that the vegan dishes were the best, both for health and ethical reasons. It was a natural choice for me to open a restaurant like this one. I have a few very talented and dedicated chefs working with me, but I still love to prepare dishes myself, as well; especially the raw cakes," she smiles.

"Let food be thy medicine, as they say. That`s a fascinating story, Victoria. And congratulations, it`s an exceptional place," I say with all honesty.

"Thank you, Edward, I appreciate it. Make sure to choose something before you leave, so you can have it for dinner tonight. And I`ll pack you a slice of the orange chocolate cake, of course," she chuckles.

"Only if you allow me to pay this time; I`m already having this lunch on the house, and that`s enough," I state firmly.

"No chance, you won`t take this pleasure from me," she holds her ground firmly.

"Edward," Tanya drops in, "I wouldn`t, really. You won`t win with this woman," she points at her girlfriend, and they smile at each other warmly.

"OK, one-nil for you," I resign. "In turn, I`ll make sure to send my colleagues and friends over, so they can indulge, too."

"Deal," Victoria says.

Later on, while I eat my fabulous dinner and moan through decadent dessert, my heart skips a beat as I read a message on .

BrownEyes: "Hi there! I`m back in town, and I`m in the mood for some Bill Cosby!"

TonyBear: "I hope you`re satisfied with the trip, and welcome back! I`ll have the DVDs ready, and the champagne cooling. Are you free after the weekend?"

BrownEyes: "Please : -) Does Tuesday sound good?"

TonyBear: "Tuesday has never sounded better."

BrownEyes: "Aw : -) I`m about to get a call from my parents, so I need to go, but we`ll be in touch over the weekend regarding the time and place, okay?"

TonyBear: "Woohoo!"

Let the lady matches begin! In two days` time I`m going to meet Bella again, and then, three days later BrownEyes. Given that both Tanya and Victoria have also offered to accompany me to the wedding if things with BrownEyes went pear-shaped, I think it`s safe to say I`m a lucky son of a gun.


	57. Chapter 57

**Chapter 57**

**Bella**

"Rose, you look like a model!" I exclaim when I open the door to my cousin. "And I`m not even sure which dress to wear."

"That`s why I`m here, Bella. I`m so glad you came back in time for the party; Alice was getting quite anxious."

"The two of you really hit it off, didn`t you?" I say. I`m happy that my two best friends have also become each other`s friends.

"We did, and we met twice when you were away," she runs a hand through my hair. Here we go; I`m Barbie Bella again.

"If you put the beige dress on, I`ll curl your hair and pull it to the side, over one shoulder. Red lipstick on lips, and I`ll have to ask Emmett to peel guys off of you all night," she jokes.

"As if," I roll my eyes. "But yes, let`s do it; I like the idea of the hair to the side and the beige dress. Where are you meeting Emmett?"

"He`s picking us both up in a cab in less than an hour, so let`s get to work, shall we?"

"I have to confess something, Rosie," I say a few minutes later, as she works on my locks. "I was so thrilled with my trip to the farm, it put me on such a high that I felt like singing and shouting from the rooftops. And imagine who I wanted to share it with? For some inexplicable reason one of the first people on my list was TonyBear. So I wrote to him, and … ta da ... we`re seeing each other next Tuesday night."

Instantaneously, Rose`s eyes grow huge and perfectly round, "Holy shit! When again … Tuesday?"

"Aha," I state proudly, and sink into the chair.

Rose`s expression is unreadable; something between a smirk and panic painted on her face.

"Everything all right, Rose?"

"Yeah, great," she shakes her head. "Right, on with the dress now, and we also have to decide on the shoes."

Once the shoes decision is made, I look at myself in the mirror and admire the final product of my cousin`s efforts. I can`t help but smile. I`m in a really good place in life, full of plans for a nice, fulfilling future, and I think it shows in my eyes and posture.

I`m happy.

I`m on the way to see my best friend and her fiancé, some other familiar and unfamiliar faces, and I decide that I`m going to have a magnificent time.

In a few days I`m meeting TonyBear, which puts a wide smile on my face, and tonight … I don`t know why, but I`m looking forward to seeing Edward Cullen once again. A few days ago when I spoke to Alice over the phone, she explained Edward`s past behavior to me, and said that he felt awful about it, and would probably want to chat with me tonight.

I`m ready.

Rose and I walk over to Emmett who`s waiting for us with the cab door open, all the while humming "I`ve got a feeling that tonight`s gonna be a good night…"

Unlike some other times, I begin bobbing my head and singing along with him.


	58. Chapter 58

**Chapter 58**

**Edward**

I drive home whistling. After a quick snack of crackers with some fancy soya pate that Tanya dropped off at my place last night, I jump into the shower and continue whistling my tune.

I let Cody out into the backyard for a run, and while sitting out there, too, I do some paperwork. I enjoy soaking in the intense, evening sun. It`s a gorgeous, warm day in the middle of May. I realize that I`m genuinely excited about tonight`s pre-wedding bash. I also can`t wait to tell Alice that Victoria volunteered to prepare a complimentary raw wedding cake for her and Jasper`s reception. Knowing Alice`s sweet tooth, I can already imagine hearing her squeals.

A crispy light blue dress shirt, grey suit, and a tie later, I catch a quick glance of my reflection in the mirror.

Just a quick pat for Cody and reassurance that Tanya will come and check on him later, and I lock the door behind me.

The cab driver is in as good a mood as I am, and we joke and listen to some music. I feel great.

Just a few more days and I`ll finally meet the girl that Emmett can`t stop talking about, and tonight I hope to straighten things up with Bella Swan. I feel like laughing at myself for thinking that she had a baby.

I pay for the trip and sigh deeply, facing a house decorated with love hearts and lights. Christmas has nothing on Alice and her love for anything sparkly.

OK, let`s do it.

"Edward!" Alice shouts and throws herself into my arms. "How good to see you! You look fantastic. Here, come in and get reacquainted. Some people you are most likely familiar with, and some will be new. We`re still waiting for most of the guests anyway, so make yourself comfortable. Grab a drink, dinner will be ready very soon," she explains. "Jasper, honey, Edward`s here!"

I greet my cousin and get introduced to a couple of Alice`s relatives. We`re enjoying a chat, when in a corner of my eye I spot Emmett. I get ready to make a move, but someone hinders me for a moment, and I watch from a distance as he gets two glasses of wine and walks over to Alice and a blond woman.

Oh, shit, it`s Rose! Emmett is here with Rose and she and Alice seem very friendly, as if this party wasn`t the first time they have met. How is this possible?

So this is Emmett`s Rose… the woman I practically tricked into meeting the man. She doesn`t seem particularly upset about it, and I know that she wasn`t whom she claimed to be on their first date either, but I still feel that I owe her an explanation. If Bella is here, too, I`ll have my work cut out for me tonight.

And then I see her.

My knees go weak.


	59. Chapter 59

**Welcome to all the new readers! And a big thank you to all of you who get in touch; lots of love from my heart to yours : -)**

**Chapter 59**

**Bella**

"Are you coming with me?" Rose asks, holding my elbow.

"I`ll be with you in a moment, I just need to talk to Cynthia about the flowers first," I respond.

"All right, I`ll go find Alice then," she smiles and turns to look for the Bride-to-be. Her blond curls bob as she strolls down the hallway.

I move amongst other guests, make small talk, and keep looking for someone… I`m not fooling myself anymore; I want to see Edward Cullen, for the sake of clearing up the air between us, and telling him that there are absolutely no hard feelings, but mostly just for his sinfully gorgeous self. It`s funny how lately each time I thought of TonyBear, I imagined him having Jasper`s cousin`s face. I can`t wait to meet Emmett`s best friend, but one at a time, tonight I`m going to swoon over Edward. I deserve it, and he doesn`t even have to know.

I bump into a couple of Alice`s work colleagues who got married not long ago, and we catch up for a while. We comment on how sweet and in love Alice and Jasper are, and my eyes fall on another couple, who, although they are still very new and fresh, already look so close and committed; Rose and Emmett. I find it quite captivating how they go apart, spend time with others, but at the same time always remain closely to one another, as if they were magnets. Or mozzarella, I think to myself and laugh. Rose has found her cheese man.

Please, God, let their certainty regarding TonyBear and me fitting each other, prove right as well.

I watch Emmett whisper into Rose`s ear and her giggle into his shoulder. So sweet. I could stand and stare at them for hours, but the music is playing, and more people enter the house bringing me out from my trance.

At last, I find Cynthia and give her the report on the flower arrangements that she put me in charge of for the wedding. We stand in a corner of the room as she tells me that she and Alec, the man she`d been lusting after for years, have been seeing each other for three months now. There you go, another happy pair! She tells me how incredible it feels to care for someone so much and have it reciprocated, and we squeal like little girls.

I raise my glass to wish Cynthia a lot of happiness, when I sense someone`s eyes on me.

On the opposite side of the room stands a man, smiling, and mirroring my gesture of glass lifting.

Edward Cullen.

He starts walking towards me, and I find it necessary to lean back against the wall behind me for support.

God, I should have knocked that drink back, maybe it would have given me some more courage.

Too late now.


	60. Chapter 60

**Talk about being nervous right now…**

**Chapter 60**

**Edward**

"Bella," I say finally, glad that my knees didn`t literally give in underneath me on my way over to her. "Hi."

"Hello, Edward," she answers softly.

"It`s … good to see you again," I stammer.

"And likewise."

Wow, look at me; I had so much to say to her, explain my past behavior, and now that we`re standing face to face, I choke on my words like a teenager who had finally worked up the courage to talk to a girl, only to freeze in front of her.

I open my mouth to speak again, when I hear Jasper`s voice right beside me.

"Hi guys, champagne?" He chirps, handing us a glass each. "I wanna make a toast."

I see that all the guests have gathered around in a large circle. So, I smile at my glass of bubbly, thinking about next Tuesday night`s date with BrownEyes, while being very aware of the stunning woman beside me at the same time. She smells so fresh … not of perfume, but flowers and air … I want to get closer to Bella, and beg my online girl for a meeting right here, right now, all at once. My head swims between this fantasy and reality.

Some kind of excitement is getting the best of me.

I command myself to calm down, and while casting my eyes on the floor, I gaze sideways at Bella`s hands. She is twisting the neck of the glass nervously.

"Ladies and gentlemen," my cousin begins, "Welcome to this informal get-together." He smiles and someone whistles. We all chuckle.

Jasper nods in response and continues, "So much for informal, huh?" He laughs. "Thank you all for coming tonight. The objective was to get us all together and help break some ice before we meet again at the wedding next month. I can already see it`s working, so once more, a huge thank you from both Alice and me, and have fun! Here`s to all of us!" He raises his glass, and amongst cheers and more whistles, everyone takes a sip.

"Oh," Jasper adds, "And I`m being told that dinner will be served in ten minutes."

The crowd dissipates and some guests begin to make their way to the large table outside. I turn to Bella with the intention of continuing a quiet chat with her …

"Edward, my man!" Emmett materializes in front of me. "There`s someone here I would like you to meet. Rosie, this is the famous Edward; Edward, this is Rose."

I set my glass aside and shake hands with her. "Rose, it`s a real pleasure. I`ve heard a lot about you. I hope you`ll allow me to explain a couple of things that went on recently …"

"Edward, there`s nothing to talk about," She protests and her blond locks bounce to the sides. "I am excited to meet you at last."

"Guys," I hear Alice`s voice behind me. "Care to join us in the kitchen for a minute, please? Bella, I wanted to ask you about the flowers, and Edward, you have to tell me more about that friend of yours, Victoria. The cake she is offering sounds incredible, and what a lovely gesture; I would love to get in touch with her."

I watch with surprise as Rose hooks her arm with Bella, and together they follow Alice, while Jasper points at Emmett and me.

Isn`t it strange that Rose and Bella know each other? Sure, they must have met through Alice…

I grab my champagne and walk to the kitchen, where platters of various foods seem to be covering all available flat space. The place is buzzing with people coming in, and leaving with armfuls of dishes. It all smells delicious and I catch Bella`s curious eyes taking it all in as, well.

"They`re spoiling us," I say to her.

"That`s for sure. I can`t wait to try the sushi," she smiles.

"So, how`s everything going?" Jasper asks, as he passes someone large plates of crackers and dips. "Bella, how are the new plans coming along? Alice tells me you might be leaving the city soon to settle in the country?"

Bella blushes a bit, "Well, I`m not sure how soon it could possibly happen, but yes, I have a few new hopes and dreams."

"You`re planning to move away?" I join in the conversation, and swallow hard as she directs her piercing brown eyes at me.

"As a child I wanted to grow fruit and vegetables and make jams, preserves and relishes. I might have an opportunity to do that now."

"Oh, I see," I respond. "That`s a very unusual and impressive plan."

"Bella has just inherited her family`s land," Alice rushes to explain.

Once more, I nod in appreciation, "Wow, it used to the other way round, young people couldn`t wait to get out of the country and into a bustling town and city; fair play to you, Bella."

"Thank you," she says softly, "I think we are getting more interested in healthy living, and realize that some food we buy in large grocery stores falls below the standards that we should expect. I want to be able to offer good, organic fruit and vegetables, grown locally, and make it available to local people."

"Well, you`re gonna be one hot farmer in your rubber boots, Bella!" Emmett laughs.

Initially, I sigh at Emmett`s humor, but then I have to agree with him; Bella is going to look delicious in a pair of farmer footwear. As delicious as her produce, of that I am certain, and no less beautiful than what she looks like tonight.

"Are you working in this field at the moment?" I ask her.

"No, I`m an accountant," she clears, "Which, of course will be helpful from the financial point of view."

Yeah, this is the way I imagined her, as an office girl, in a suit and a pair of stilettos.

I`m having a great time carrying on this small talk and seeing people buzzing around with food and drinks, and I can`t shake off the feeling that this story is somehow familiar, that I have heard of this farming plan before. It must have been someone at the clinic though, because I certainly didn`t talk to Bella about it, and I didn`t even know that she had such plans.

"Rose, I have pizza with mozzarella for you here," Alice jokes as she winks at Rose and Emmett. They both laugh and lean into each other for a quick kiss.

Okay, whatever that`s supposed to mean.

"Bella, we also have caviar for you," Jasper says cheerfully.

"Ha ha, very funny," Bella reacts.

I feel an interesting pang in my gut.

Champagne and caviar …

Deep breath, Edward.

"Edward, it`s Beluga you like, isn`t it?" Alice sings.

"Pardon?"

"The caviar?" Rose throws in, "I understand Beluga is your favorite?"

What the …?

Why are they doing this?

Moreover, why is Bella looking uncomfortable?

"Nevermind," Emmett says casually, although it seems as if it was a perfectly orchestrated line, "Did you know that Bella`s cat was sick recently, and she brought him to your clinic, Edward?"

"I don`t know anything about it," I say quietly, and dare to look at Bella.

"Oh, that," she speaks, "Yes, Richard had a stomach bug, and my regular vet was out of town. It happened to be your dad who treated him that day; I didn`t even know that you were a vet. I only learned later on that you were away at training."

"Richard? Your cat`s name is Richard?" I utter slowly.

Jeez, why is it so hot in here?

"Yes, it is," she admits, and her eyes begin bouncing from Alice to Jasper, from Rose to Emmett.

I loosen my tie, and Bella shuffles her feet.

Her lips are dry.

"Oh, Edward, it`s a pity you missed it," Rose sings, "Richard is the sweetest, most gorgeous cat you could meet. He has this shiny, black fur with a bit of white on his neck; I always laugh that it looks like he`s wearing a bowtie," she giggles, somewhat nervously.

The kitchen is silent.

"And you know Richard from …" I direct my words at Rose, but look at Bella, whose face is drained of all color.

Rose doesn`t rush uttering her words, "Because Bella is my …"

"Cousin," I finish.

As if in slow motion, I see Bella`s eyes traveling from one person to another once more.

Then, wordlessly, she hands me her glass with the gold liquid inside.

"Excuse me," she whispers as she passes me and heads straight for the kitchen door leading to the hallway.

By now, most of the guests are in the backyard. I hear Alice and Rose gasp, but as I look up at them, they stay put, along with their partners.

"Edward," Emmett dares to speak.

I raise my hand to stop him, and then I turn on my heels, step out of the kitchen and into the hallway.

The only sound that I hear is the clanking of her high-heeled shoes.

She leaves the door open wide as she storms out.

"Bella!"

"Bella! Please, stop!"


	61. Chapter 61

**Chapter 61**

**Bella**

"Bella," I hear again, quieter this time, as I finally stop and place the palms of my hands on Alice`s car.

Edward`s steps come to a halt a few feet behind me.

"Bella, I didn`t know a thing about it, I swear," he says breathlessly. "I`m as shocked as you are. They must have figured it all out and decided that throwing us for a loop was actually a funny way of showing us how smart they are. You should see them though; they`re shitting themselves in there right now. Bella, I am so, so very sorry."

"It`s not your fault," I hear myself say.

"They`re a bunch of idiots, and I`ll be glad to tell them just that, and then bring you home if you wish; it`s the least I can do," he offers feverishly. "Just, please, Bella, may I see your face, I want to make sure that you`re okay."

I stand with my back to him, close my eyes and breathe deeply. Then I realize that only one thing matters; the man from my fantasies, the man I had been imagining and dreaming about, and the real man who I had been secretly crushing on, are one and the same man.

Caviar man = Edward.

Edward = Caviar man.

What hits me is the pure and simple hilarity of the situation.

So, I start giggling to myself, and immediately I know that I won`t be able to stop for quite some time.

"Bella, are you …" comes from behind me.

I turn slowly, and see Edward`s terrified expression.

"Oh, thank God, you`re laughing," he says to himself, sighing deeply. "I thought you were crying."

At this stage, I can`t stop and begin openly laughing. His features brighten as well.

I point back and forth at us, "This is actually pretty funny, don`t you think?"

Edward nods and his face stretches in a wide smile, as we stand there, a couple of feet apart, and we laugh.

There are so many thoughts that race through my mind; so many conversations, comments and images make sense at last.

It feels so good.

After a while, Edward calms down and speaks warmly, "Hello, BrownEyes."

I know I`m blushing; I can feel the beetroot red covering and burning my cheeks.

"Hi there, Caviar man, or Tony, as I like to call you."

He chuckles. "It`s so good to finally know who you are."

"And likewise, but why Tony?"

"Anthony is my middle name," he explains.

"I see," I say. "I like it. And does Bear refer to how cuddly you are?"

He laughs again. "Well, we might get to that later … depending on the development of things," he states, making my face fill with a new surge of blushing heat. "But Bear was the name of the first pet I ever treated as a fully trained vet. He was a cute rescue puppy."

"Aw, that`s so sweet," I can`t help but squeal.

Is this man adorable or what?

"Your turn. We talked about your eye color already; what`s the fifteen, thirteen about?"

I shake my head. "Completely random, it has no significance whatsoever. I`m a very ordinary girl."

"Bella, you are anything but ordinary," he states firmly.

"Thank you," I answer, and then I can`t help but chuckle again, pointing at his hands. "You`re still holding our champagne flutes."

"I didn`t have much time to think before running after you; besides, we can`t waste good champagne," he winks at me.

I hope that he didn`t hear my little moan.

"No, we can`t waste the champagne," I agree and take my glass back from him.

"Dinner is being served in there," he motions with his head towards the house.

"I really want that sushi."

"Me, too, and I saw Biryani as well, yum," he says. "I have one question, or a request, before we go back in."

"What is it?"

"That you sit beside me, Bella."

"I wouldn`t have it any other way," I answer, and then add. "One more thing, what are we going to do with these four?" I motion my head to Alice, Jasper, Rose and Emmett, standing a safe distance away, in the doorway, looking nervous and scared.

"You know what I think?" Edward responds. "That they are a good bunch, and personally I believe that none of them would have done it, had they not been certain that the outcome would be … well, this, you and me standing here together, and being able to find humor in what just happened."

"They`ll have to explain themselves, but you`re right, they did okay."

"Come on," Edward smiles and we make our way back to the party.

"You look beautiful," he says into the night.

"Thank you," I answer quietly, touched by how intimate his words sound.


End file.
